I come to fight Or at least, to listen
by celebrationday
Summary: Enjolras/OC How do they leave the past behind when all their friends, except two, have died? I own none of the characters, except Evelyn. HEAVILY inspired by /s/8394736/39/Our-Little-Lives (e/eponine)! Movieverse.
1. Meetings

Part 1

_The Barricade _

_~Chapter one~_

_Meetings_

Evelyn stepped on the narrow cobble-stone streets of twilight Paris. With her right hand she tucked back a strand of dark chocolate hair behind her ear and smoothed her hand over the rest of her french braid. She was suddenly self-conscious and examined herself, attempting to erase the dirt and grime that had accumulated on her dress over the past six months. After all, she was going into a room full of students at the Sorbone and had to at least make herself look competent.

She turned right onto Rue St. Denis and the Cafe Musain came into sight. The voices of young men and warm yellow light poured out the first and second stories. Eponine's description of the headquarters for the rebellion were somewhat vague, but Evelyn figured this was the place. She erected her posture and strode through the heavy door-frame.

...

Enjolras scanned the cafe. Most of the students huddled around the heavy oak table were making bullets, cleaning guns, or making other preparations for battle. Swaths of red fabric and French flags hung from the rafters and the smell of candles burning and sweat permeated the air.

General LaMarque was hanging onto life by a thread, and the rebel force were going to make their cause official at his funeral.

Most of the students held or kept near a bottle of wine, and the notion that they were drinking as they were preparing to start a revolution irked Enjolras. But he let the young men enjoy themselves for the time being, soon they would be risking their lives for freedom.

...

Evelyn rounded the last turn of the staircase and stepped onto the second floor. She searched the crowd of young men for her best-friend, Eponine, but she didn't see her in the sea of white shirt-sleeves and earth tones. What had Eponine gotten herself into? She certainly did not belong in a room full of young men with alcohol on their breath and politics in their hearts! Evelyn knew the true reason she was there, though. Marius Pontmercy, the baron's son, was at the forefront of this rebellion. Everywhere he went, Eponine went. No matter how many times Evelyn tried to talk some sense into the girl, she insisted that eventually Marius would love her back and they would live happily ever after.

Evelyn shook her head and directed herself to the other end of the cafe. It's not that she didn't believe in happy endings, she wanted one for herself, even. But the cusp of a revolution was not the time nor place to make unexpected love connections.

She spotted Eponine sitting with Marius at a table, the both of them huddled over a letter that Marius was writing, Marius with an idiot's smile on his face and Eponine almost grimacing. Ah, it must be a letter to Marius's new love. What did Eponine say her name was? Colette? Anyways, Evelyn knew it was breaking Eponine's heart that Marius was so dead-set on meeting this girl, and why Eponine appeared to be helping Marius write a love letter to her, she did not know. Evelyn was only a feet away from Eponine when she bumped into somebody. She looked at her obstacle.

In short, he was as handsome as handsome could be. He had honey-colored curls and his eyes had a certain intensity as if they were made of pure blue fire. A scarlet jacket was tailored to his trim physique and a red,white, and blue ruffled circle was pinned to his right lapel. His whole physical appearance had a sort of chiseled effect to it. Evelyn noticed he had dropped the pamphlets he was holding and got down on her knees with him to gather them up. "Pardon, _monsieur_," she said as she looked at the handful of pamphlets in her hands. She couldn't help but to read the heading at the very top of the page in bold:

"Fight with us for France!

Liberty, equality, and brotherhood!"

...

When they knocked into each other, the bunch of pamphlets Enjolras was holding in his hands fluttered to the floor. He stooped down, and while she was gathering the pieces of paper, he got a good look at her. She was a lower-class citizen of France. Her dark blue chemise and plaid skirt were dusted with dirt and a few tears were in the skirt. Her face had a certain expression of concentration to it, as if she always was thinking multiple thoughts. Enjolras stood up with a few pamphlets in his left hand and offered her his right. He'd be damned if he didn't show the same respect to a lower citizen of France as he would another bourgeois. She almost hesitated to take it.

"I do not believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before," Enjolras stated. She looked him in the eyes. _Her eyes._ Enjolras thought. They were the deepest shade of blue-green he had ever seen. Or were they hazel? Gray? They seemed to shift the longer he looked at them. It was also strange that a member of her class, especially a woman, would hold such eye contact. Enjolras was almost taken-aback by the combination. "Tell me your name, _mademoiselle_"

"Evelyn, and you?" she responded. She had an almost curt tone, that betrayed she was here for business only. Enjolras met her with similar attitude.

"Enjolras. What brings you to _les Amis_?" he inquired. At first, Enjolras had assumed she was the mistress of one of the men, but her serious demeanor spoke that she was here for herself. Usually politics were the affairs of men, but since Marius's ghost was already here, he figured it was no use trying to keep women out. And if she was dedicated to the cause, she couldn't hurt.

"I am here to fight. Or, at least listen. I've heard much talk among the streets of your cause, and I would like to add myself to the list of rebels." Her tone seemed to soften. But Enjolras was still very surprised. Not often do women involve themselves this closely in rebellion. Surely, she did not mean to partake in the violence that was sure to result? She still stared at him. Enjolras cleared his throat.


	2. Welcome

"Then welcome." Enjolras responded with a serious tone. He gave a curt nod and turned and walked away. When they both stood up Evelyn had to look up to speak to him. He was at least a head and a half taller than she.

Enjolras moved through the crowd, speaking to each young man.

"_The time is near, so near it's stirring the blood in their veins. But yet beware, don't let the wine go to your brains!_"

Evelyn could tell this was his natural element, leading the people. She could almost feel his energy from across the cafe.

_"We need a sign, to rally the people, to call them to arms, to bring them in line!"_

Enjolras was the clear leader of _les Amis_. It didn't necessarily surprise Evelyn; he had that sort of presence that demanded respect and commanded attention.

She made her way over to Eponine.

"Eponine!" She shouted to her friend with a grin. Eponine smiled back and rose to meet Evelyn, leaving Marius infatuated with his love letter. The two met with an embrace. Eponine spoke first.

"I saw you talking to the marble man over there," she gestured her head towards Enjolras.

"Is that what they call him?"

"For clear reasons, am I wrong? He looks as though he's David, carved by Michelangelo himself!" Eponine giggled, teasing Evelyn.

Eponine and Evelyn were practically sisters. Eponine rejected the life of crime (or at least resented it) and with it, her family. Evelyn's family both rejected and resented her, so they were similar on that front.

Evelyn was not appreciative of her family trying to marry her off for their own benefit. Since she turned 15, she was dressed in gaudy imitation-bourgeois clothing, taught lessons in "manners" (though she highly doubted the authenticity of such), and paraded around like a prized cow. When the procession returned back to their abode in the slums of Saint-Michel after, yet another, failed day, Evelyn was shut up in her room, as to "not damage the goods". So, she turned to books. She convinced her parents that no middle-class man would take a girl who could not read or write fluently (she had a basic knowledge already).

She read all kinds of books. Fiction, history, adventure, but her favorite was medical science. She wanted to be a doctor. Not a nurse, but a doctor. It was ridiculous, she knew, but she felt, in her heart, that her vocation was to help people in need. Of course, no hospital would employ her on sight, so she decided that she would have to impress them with her impeccable knowledge. She was already quick-thinking and resourceful, all she needed was the technique.

Her family rejected her passion, so Evelyn rejected her family.

After a year of being appraised like livestock, she became her own person altogether. Evelyn gathered all she could fit in her small, worn _portmanteau_ and slipped out in the middle of the night without a word.

Evelyn spent a few weeks on the streets. She looked for jobs high and low, but none seemed to come. Eventually, she was broken down into begging for food and selling everything in her _portmanteu_. She met Eponine while hanging around a street corner. She must've seen how hungry Evelyn was- she hadn't eaten in a few days. Eponine handed Evelyn half the piece of bread she was eating, a small, but much needed gift. They talked about themselves and their pasts and it was enough to motivate Evelyn to re-kindle her job search. Later that day, by God's grace, she had found one at a book store. She visited Eponine everyday and waited until she had saved enough to rent the tiniest of apartments, about 4 months, and asked Eponine if she wanted to move in together. She said yes, and the two had only been living together for about six months until this whole rebellion business started.

Evelyn rolled her eyes, "Unlike you, I am here for political reasons and political reasons only." On "only" she flicked her gaze to Marius.

Eponine's heart sunk as she caught Evelyn's intended effect. "He asks me to help him write and deliver these letters, and I can't stand it."

Evelyn felt as though her own heart was breaking, and tried to comfort Eponine with her eyes. They had been through so much over the past eight months. Eponine then turned and left the cafe with Marius's letter in her hand.

Evelyn could hear Enjolras speak again, as he had made his way a table a few feet away.

...

Enjolras had had enough. He was going to rally these men. He was succeeding for a while, but Marius and his mistress distracted the other students far too much.

"_It is time for us all to decide who we are," _ he spoke to Grantaire, Joly, and Marius. _"Do we fight for the right to go to the opera now? Have you asked of yourself what the price you must pay? Or is this simply a game for a rich, young boy to play?"_ That last line was directed for Marius, Enjolras was letting him know that childish displays of affection were not to be tolerated at the Cafe. Now he was speaking to everybody and his voice was swelling with conviction, _"The colors of the world are changing day by day. Red: the blood of angry men. Black: the dark of ages past. Red: a world about to dawn. Black: the night that ends at last!"_

Marius tried to defend his position to Enjolras. _"Had you seen her today you might know how it feels, to be struck to the bone in moment of breathless delight."_

Enjolras scoffed at such romantic nonsense. Pontmercy was always one for dramatics. Marius persisted, "_Had you been there today, you might also have known how your world may be changed in one burst of light. And what was right seemed wrong, and what was wrong seemed right." _By some sick twist of fate, Evelyn caught his eye. Enjolras immediately shook off the thought. Sure, her image of her had been lingering in Enjolras's mind, but that was mainly because he couldn't categorize her properly. She was a poor French woman living in Paris, ordinary in that respect. But her confidence and attitude was unlike any other. She held her chin up, not in the soft, demure way of the bourgeois women, or a masculine, aggressive way either. In the way that was uniquely Evelyn. Enjolras knitted his brows together for a moment, then annoyance took over. _"Marius, you're no longer a child. I do not doubt you mean it well, but now there is a higher call. Who cares about your lonely soul? We strive towards a higher goal. Our little lives don't count at all!"_

Enjolras felt almost guilty for saying the last line, but he knew it was true. Anyone would be a fool to think that a revolution wouldn't cost lives. Maybe even his... Enjolras ran his palm down the back of his blond curly hair and down his damp neck and sighed.

...

_"Red: the blood of angry men. Black: the dark of ages past."_

Evelyn heard the young men singing and almost wanted to join in herself. But she decided it best to let the young students revel in their camaraderie. Instead she let out a small smile.

_"Red: a world about to dawn. Black: the night that ends at last."_

A young boy, who Evelyn recognized as Eponine's brother and who appeared to be the messenger of _les Amis_, appeared at the top of the staircase. One of the students greeted him, then shouted to the rest of the cafe, "Listen everybody!"

Gavroche announced, "General LaMarque is dead!"

...

Enjolras felt a surge of energy immediately. _"LaMarque, his death is the hour of fate," _ he rallied the people, "_the people's man, his death is the sign we await. On his funeral day they will honor his name. With the light of rebellion ablaze in their eyes. On the candles of grief we will kindle our flame. On the tomb of LaMarque shall our barricade rise. The time is here, let us welcome it gladly with courage and cheer." _

"_Let us take to the streets with no doubt in our hearts," _a man by the door shouted.

_"But a jubilant shout,"_ Courfeyrac added.

"_They will come one and all," _ another supplied.

All _les Amis _finished the rallying cry, _"They will come when we call!" _

_..._

The Cafe Musain had errupted into utter chaos. After the battle hymn had been sung, every man shot out to do a job with the utmost diligence, which resulted in a lot of shouting and clamoring. Evelyn was still in a little bit of awe from Enjolras's booming display of complete power over the room. She was never one to be helpless, so she brought herself back to focus and strode to where Enjolras was standing, supervising the results of his performance.

"What can I do?" Evelyn almost regretted snapping Enjolras out of his reverie.

Enjolras responded with determination overpowering every emotion "Do you know how to make cartridges?" Evelyn could see the bright blue burning in his eyes. She nodded yes, she remembered a diagram she had seen in a book at the book store last week. "Good," Evelyn turned to walk to the oak table at the center of the cafe. "How do you like _les Amis _so far?" The last question caught Evelyn off guard and she whipped around to give Enjolras a glare with slightly squinted eyes and one eyebrow up. She didn't expect anyone, let alone the leader of a revolution, to be asking her opinion when she had only been at one meeting for only an lifted her chin and composed herself.

"Well, _monsieur _Enjolras, I firmly believe in your desire for a democracy, but I don't think you'll be able to get the people to rise... Do you have a mistress?"

The last question was so bold it surprised Enjolras. "No."

"Then you don't understand losing one. How can you expect men who have families that they love and are bestowed with the responsibility to protect them fight a battle that they will not survive?" By now, Evelyn had started to gain the attention of a few students. She looked around nervously for a moment, this many people hadn't listened to her before.

Enjolras responded, hands on his hips and a look of almost anger on his face, Evelyn knew she was skating on thin ice, "What's the point in living when they are not free?" Voices chimed in with agreement.

"They won't be free when they're dead," Evelyn quipped. The room fell silent, all eyes were on her and Enjolras.

"Enough," stated Enjolras.

Evelyn locked eyes with him and took on a new air of stern explanation, "You don't understand because you have nothing to lose. With the exception of very few of you," Evelyn gestured to the other students, "none of you have anything to lose. I am not saying that you should not fight, I would gladly fight with you! You just cannot expect the people to put themselves against such odds."

...

Enjolras was quite taken aback to see Evelyn defying him. Not that he was a tyrant, he was a born lawyer, debating was in his blood, he just didn't expect it. He especially did not expect Evelyn's arguments to interest everyone in the cafe. Perhaps her opinions had struck a nerve on everybody because they confirmed their worst fears: the people abandoning them, their dying and having nobody miss them...

Enjolras was going to say some snide remark like "If you don't want to fight with us, then leave", but she had said she did want to fight. She was just stating her honest opinion. It would be horribly hypocritical if he shot down the very sort of person he was trying to free. Instead he dropped eye contact with her and sighed. He was lucky most of the men had turned back to their posts by then.

Evelyn turned and walked away to the bowl of cartridge supplies.


	3. One Day More

_Chapter 3_  
_~One Day More~_

Evelyn started to feel the waves of sleep washing over her. The adrenaline supplied by the argument with Enjolras only sustained her for so long. She shouted out to the few men still awake, "What time is it?" Among them was Joly, Coufeyrac, Combeferre, and Enjolras. She had gotten to know each man at least by name by then.

"Half-past midnight," Combeferre answered.

Evelyn's eyes widened at the time, as did most of men, except for Enjolras. He was too engrossed in his writing.

He sat at a table empty except for a stack of paper and an inkwell. He held the quill in his right hand, his elbow set on the table. His left hand was buried in his blond locks, dragging his head down a little. His scarlet jacket was unbuttoned, along with his vest and the first four buttons of his shirt. His dark blond brows creased together in frustration, and his pen was almost jerking across the page. Evelyn wondered what he was writing. Before she could ask, he crumpled up the page and tossed with the other balls that had accumulated over the night. Joly spoke to Enjolras, putting his hand on his shoulder, "Enjolras, maybe it's time to retire for the night. We have preparations to make. You need to rest." Joly made sure to put extra emphasis on the last part, he knew his friend would run himself dead if nobody stopped him. Enjolras sighed and began to pack up his things.

Evelyn finished the last cartidge and headed for the door. She bid goodbye to each man with a smile; she had genuinely enjoyed their company. Before she reached the bottom of the stairwell she heard the marble man himself speak at last. From a few steps above Evelyn he spoke, "Do you really intend on walking alone at this hour?"

"Yes," Evelyn answered, continuing her trip down the stairs and out the front door of the cafe. She could handle herself. She was not accustomed to the attention that bourgeois men gave to their women, and therefore did not expect nor know how to respond to the gesture.

"_Mademoiselle_," Enjolras started with a soft tone, "I do not think it safe for a lady like you to be wandering the streets of Paris at night alone." Enjolras hoped he wasn't coming across as romantically interested. He had no time for affairs, as his mistress was Patria- France. In the back of his mind, a dark thought nagged his mind: in truth, he was afraid of losing the one he loved. In all reality, he knew he wasn't going to make it for long after this rebellion: he would either die at the barricade or rot in jail and was determined to not put anybody at a position to grieve him.

Evelyn's acceptance jolted him out of his thoughts.

Before they started walking, Enjolras handed his red coat to Evelyn. She hesitated to take it at first, as if she were unsure what to do with it, but she then put it on.

The scarlet coat enveloped her petite frame, the cuffs completely covering her hands. She continued to roll the sleeves up and straighten the jacket in an attempt to make it look less costumish. Enjolras would have laughed at the sight if she were not such a serious man, so instead the corner of his mouth twitched.

Enjolras offered his left arm, and her right slipped into the crook of it. They headed down Saint-Denis in quiet, which was fine with Enjolras.

...

Evelyn broke the silence when they were half-way to her apartment. "So explain to me the details of this rebellion, _monsieur_." Evelyn knew she could cheer Enjolras up like this. Since they had left the Cafe they had walked in silence, the only sound the click his boots on the cobble-stone. His face wore an expression of a blend between determination and frustration, his eyes a mild blue-grey. She figured she at least owed him the happiness of talking about his passion after shaming him in front of _les Amis_.

"What would you like to know, _mademoiselle_?" Enjolras inquired.

"Everything," Evelyn answered firmly, "if I'm going to fight, I want to know what for."

"So you're still set on wielding a pistol?"

"Why would I not be?" Evelyn snapped. She made a mental note to work on keeping her emotions in check, like she had been for the past 17 years. "I mean, from what I hear, _les Amis_ stand for democracy among the people of France-"

"Then you have heard right," Enjolras cut her off, almost gleaming. "We stand to make a new world, a Republic of France."

Evelyn couldn't help but smile a bit when she heard the words "Republic of France." Maybe it would mean more equality? Surely women's rights would come up. Maybe she could be at the head of that movement. She tucked a lock of dark hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear. Evelyn looked up, they were almost at her and Eponine's apartment_. _"Turn left here," she guided Enjolras. His face was still etched with concentration. No wonder they called him "the marble lover of liberty," his expressions were stony at best.

...

Enjolras gazed straight ahead; his mind was elsewhere. LaMarque's funeral was the perfect setting for the start of the revolution. He had the students. They would be fine. He toyed with various speeches he could throw at the soldiers. Suddenly, Evelyn stopped. "We're here," she said in a light voice. Throughout their stroll, Enjolras could feel Evelyn's arm get heavier and her step slower.

They were in an alleyway. Doors lined the interior walls, each one with it's paint cracked and peeling. Evelyn jammed a key into the dull brass doorknob of the door 3rd down on the right and twisted it. The door creaked open and through the small crack revealed the most modest of livings.

Evelyn must've read his mind, because she spoke softly with a sad smile and said, "It's better than the streets... _Bonne nuit,_ _monsieur_ Enjolras." She handed him his coat back.

He responded with a sincere, _"Bonne nuit, mademoiselle_"

...

As she shut the door from behind her, a familiar voice sounded out, morphed to mock the young man who had been standing at her door "_Bonne nuit, mademoiselle."_

"Shut up, Eponine," Evelyn retorted. She unraveled her braid as she moved over to her bed- a soft pallet with a thin blanket on top. Along the opposite wall, fifty or so books had been stacked at all different heights. She had textbooks, novels, historic works, philosophy, plays, collections of poetry, short stories, everything. Her entire life was poured out onto those books: some of them had tear stains, others hastily-written anotations, many a page was dog-eared. She kept the special ones right next to her bed though, a copy of Sir John Sinclair's The Code of Health and Longevity, and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

"He likes you, ya know?" Eponine taunted, "How do I know? He actually showed a smidge of emotion. I might've even seen a little smile. Enjolras is as cold as a fellow can be, I tell ya."

"He's not cold. He's just completely consumed by the revolution. He is responsible for the student's lives, to a certain degree. Even if they make it through the battle, who's to say what will become of them? They're most likely going to be thrown in jail for the rest of their lives, or at best be on the run for it. Anyways, this will most certainly have a bloody end, and it's just not logical to get attached to people you're going to lose."

"So now you're defending him?" Eponine teased with a smile.

"Eponine, please. I'm tired, I just want to sleep," and with that, Evelyn plopped herself on the soft palette and rolled to the side opposite Eponine. Evelyn felt a little bad that she had rejected Eponine, so she struck a new topic, "How are things going with Marius?"

Evelyn could hear the sadness in her voice, "He keeps having me read and deliver his letters."

"Eponine, I don't see what you're trying to accomplish," Evelyn propped herself up on her elbow and faced Eponine, "Now that he's infatuated with this Cosette girl, it's not even worth it!"

Eponine toxically glared at Evelyn, moonlight gleamed in her eyes, "I love him, Evelyn. And I will never love any other."

Evelyn rolled her eyes and fell back on the mattress. She fell asleep almost instantly.

...

The next two days were spent at the Cafe Musain for both Evelyn and Enjolras. Evelyn listened in on the politics, but she only understood the basic concept. All the political jargon being thrown about almost gave her a headache.

She had seen a book entitled _The Republic of Cicero _by Cicero on a nearby table, maybe she could read that. Evelyn walked to the small, square table. She looked around to see if anybody owned it.

She held the book in her hands. It was well-worn. The paper had an almost plush feel to it and the corners of the pages were almost all bent. She cracked open the cover to the title page. At the top right hand corner read "Monsieur Adrien-Astor Enjolras." At Enjolras, she cringed a bit. He already didn't like her too much, stealing his book probably wouldn't be the best way to get on his good side. _But it isn't even stealing... if I sit at the table and read it, it can't be considered stealing, just borrowing. And knowledge is for everybody. Isn't that what les Amis is about? Equality?_ Evelyn rationalized and sat at the table.

...

Enjolras spotted Evelyn with his beloved _Republic of Cicero_. How and why would she even understand it? It was his late father's and then his, not some loaner book from the library. He strode over to take it from her.

"Excuse me, _mademoiselle._" He said when he reached her.

"Yes," Evelyn drew out slowly without looking up from the book. She was clearly engrossed in it. Her left elbow rested on the table and her chin in her left hand. She was chewing lightly on her pinky nail and wore an expression of utter determination on her face, as if she were going to war. It was slightly bemusing.

Enjolras coughed. Evelyn looked up and surrendered the book to him, "Here you go, Adrien-Astor," she smiled a bit, teasing him.

Enjolras looked down at her critically, "My name is not Adrien, it's Julien. That's my late father."

Evelyn blushed crimson. "Oh. Um. I'm sorry. I just saw it sitting there, and with all the discussion and what not going on I thought I could at least educate myself. I didn't mean to steal it, I swear," Evelyn explained.

Enjolras could see honesty in her eyes. _Her deep blue eyes_. Enjolras blinked and snapped himself out of it.

"You can read it for now if you like," Enjolras negotiated, "just don't take it anywhere."

Evelyn agreed and re-opened the book to the end of chapter 3.

...

Evelyn was disturbed from her reading by Enjolras rallying the _les Amis_ once again. Eponine had left again, probably delivering another letter for Marius.

"_One more day before the storm at the barricades of freedom! When our ranks begin to fall, will you take your place with me? The time is now, the day is here!"_

It was almost impossible not to listen to Enjolras when he was speaking, it also helped that Evelyn liked what he was saying... it felt nice to belong to something for once. She moved to help Courfeyrac prepare the guns. Now everybody, including Evelyn, was shouting along, "_One day to a new beginning. Raise the flag of freedom high! Every man will be a king! There's a new world for the winning. Do you hear the people sing!"_

Then Marius appeared, much to Enjolras's relief, and joined in, _"My place is here, I fight with you!"_

"_Tomorrow is the judgment day, tomorrow we'll discover what our God in heaven has in store. One more dawn! One more day! One day more!"_


	4. A world about to Dawn

Chapter 4  
~A World About to Dawn~

The funeral procession started on a clear June afternoon. It was a bit humid, but otherwise a great day to start a revolution. Evelyn and the other students lined the streets and blended in with the other mass of people who had gathered. She was separated from Eponine, but she thought she saw a glimpse of her on the other side of the road. She was dressed like a boy for reasons unknown to Evelyn. Evelyn decided not to press the issue that morning, figuring she wanted to fire shots on the front lines.

Evelyn was in one of the first few rows lining the street. Near her Combeferre and Joly tensed at the words Enjolras whispered in their ears. Enjolras held in his hand a flag. A pistol was tucked into his belt. Seeing the students confer started to bring the reality of it all to Evelyn.

A grid of drummers began to parade their way down the boulevard, horses with feathered caps and the hearse that general LaMarque now lied in followed. Evelyn could see the students get more and more tense, waiting for Enjolras's call.

...

Enjolras's heart pumped pure passion as he waited. He was ready. He was going to lead his men and create a new France: A Republic of France.

He started the rally cry, alerting his followers that their time had come, _"Do you hear the people sing?"_ the students started to join in, _"Singing the songs of angry men."_ More people joined in now, citizens included. _"this is the music of the people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums. There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes. Will you join in our crusade, who will be strong and stand with me?" _Enjolras scanned the crowd. Their voices began to add together, and their singing was growing louder and louder._ "Beyond the barricade, Is there a world you long to see?" _

Enjolras moved into the street, waving his red flag. Marius did the same from the opposite side. Enjolras called for action, "_Then join in the fight that will give you the right to be free! Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men." _They had brought the procession to a halt. Enjolras ran past the cannons and towards the hearse. Marius was already standing on top of the thing, and the other students began to break into the street as well, waving flags and embodying their cause.

Enjolras clambered up the hearse, "_It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums," _

When he got to the top of the hearse, Enjolras stood tall over the people, waving the flag of freedom high. _"There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!"_

Now he spoke to the people, _"Will you give all you can give so that our banner may advance? Some will fall and some will live, will you stand up and your chance? The blood of the martyrs will water the meadows of France!" _Enjolras felt triumphant. The worst was yet to come, he knew, but they were off to an impressive start. Maybe Evelyn was wrong about the people not rising. Even a few of the soldiers had started to join in.

_"Do you hear the people sing, singing the songs of angry men? This is the music of the people who will not be slaves again! When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, There is a life about to start when tomorrow comes!"_

_..._

Evelyn had moved with the crowd and now had one hand on the hearse. She finally caught up with Eponine, and the two had taken care to stay close. She joined in song and cheered like the rest of the masses. The only way to describe such an event was breathtaking. The sound of hundreds shouting together for a revolution, flags were waving, and at the top of the carriage stood their leader in his scarlet coat and revolution patch, calling for change and waving the banner of their cause with flame in his eyes.

When the rally cry ended and the cheer subsided, her heart sank. The cavalry had lined up and blocked the rest of the road. Evelyn could tell they were not there for a tea party. She saw Marius and Enjolras cock their guns at the top of the carriage.

"Draw!" one of the men in battle uniform. The cavalry responded and each drew a saber and positioned it for battle.

A single shot rang out. Evelyn immediately cringed. No, the bullet had not hit her, but it came fairly close. Evelyn's eyes widened and she searched for the victim. On the ground she saw a middle-aged woman surrounded by a few students. "Murderer!" Combeferre cried out.

Chaos ensued. Men and horses fell as _les Amis_ fired shots to the cavalry. Horses knocked over citizens and _les Amis_ alike. Marius mounted one of them and his red flag trailed behind them. Enjolras called to the revolutionaries, "To the barricade!"

Evelyn grabbed Eponine's arm and pulled her in the direction of Enjolras. A crowd had followed and Enjolras was led them, dead sprinting, from Boulevard Saint-Germain to the Cafe Musain. Furniture fell from the windows of the apartments lining the route to the Cafe in the purpose to slow the French soldiers. Various cries of "Vive la France" emitted from the crowd of _les Amis_ and a few other citizens, but Evelyn barely heard them over the wind and blood rushing in her ears.

Evelyn and Eponine were two of the first people to reach the Cafe, people had already thrown down some furniture, and the_ Amis _that had gotten there already had started to form the barricade. Enjolras and Marius were a few of them. Evelyn lifted a wooden sign and put it on top of a few other pieces of furniture. She assessed her surroundings and saw guns being handed to people, flags being hung, and heard the _Amis_ clamor. Courfeyrac handed her a revolution patch, and when she reached out to grab it she realized her hands were shaking. She inwardly chastised herself, now was not the time to be nervous. She pinned her rosette where a lapel would have been if she was wearing a jacket on her right side. Joly handed her a pistol.

"Do you know how to use it?" he asked. His face was flushed with excitement.

"No," Evelyn shamefully answered.

"Then join me in the second floor. I have my medical station up there," Joly amended.

Evelyn lit up at "medical", "Yes, _monsieur._" Evelyn handed back his pistol.

"Good," Joly said with a smile, then dashed off to help build the barricade.

...

"I need a volunteer! Someone who can find out their plan and when they will attack" shouted Enjolras to the _Amis. _An older man already wearing a patch complied, explaining that he used to work for the French Army. Enjolras nodded and sent him off.

By then the barricade had been fully built. It was fifteen feet high, and five feet thick, and it completely blocked the cafe from the French Army. Enjolras climbed to the top, and reaffirmed their cause. "_Red: the blood of angry men." _He stuck the red flag in-between a chair and a chest of drawers so that it stood tall. _"Black: the dark of ages past. Red: a world about to dawn." _ He pulled out his musket and position it for firing. _"Black: the night that ends at last."_


	5. Reversal

_Chapter 5  
~Reversal~_

Night fell quickly on _les Amis_. Evelyn had spent the entire light hours sanitizing table-tops and preparing various medical instruments. This was perfect for her, until she started looking at things twice. She arranged the jars of medical supplies on the bar. Re-did her french braid a few times. Re-categorized and counted the supplies. Joly came up to check on her around seven o'clock. He approved of her organization.

"So do you have any medical experience?" Joly asked. It came more out of politeness than actual curiosity. He expected a woman living in the slums to have absolutely none.

"Yes, _monsieur_. I actually own quite a few textbooks about medical science. Of course, I lack in experience, but I have the technique in my mind."

Joly was shocked. He looked up at her in disbelief. Evelyn noticed it.

"No, really _monsieur_. Just let me show you. I can stitch the first injury that comes in." Evelyn was dead set about this. This was her chance. Joly saw her expression and complied. Evelyn's heart did a little dance.

...

Night had fallen when the man returned back from his mission. Enjolras was reclining on an upturned table near the top of the barricade when Courfeyrac alerted Enjolras of his arrival. Enjolras signaled to him from the top of the barricade to enter through the side. The man told him, _"The danger is real, we will need all our cunning to bring them to heel."_ Enjolras felt the _Ami's_ confidence wavering, he reassured them, "_Have faith. If we know what their movements are we'll spoil their game. There are ways that our people can fight. We shall overcome their power."_

The man informed them _"I have overheard their plans, there will be no attack tonight. They intend to starve us out before they start a proper fight, concentrate their force, hit us when it's light."_

Little Gavroche cut him of _"Liar! Good evening, dear inspector. Lovely evening, my dear. I know this man, my friends, his name's Inspector Javert! So don't believe a word he says 'cause none of it's true. This only goes to show what little people can do."_ Gavroche's announcement sent the _Ami's_ into rage. Some tackled him, others pointed guns at his face.

Evelyn poked her head out the window to see the commotion.

Enjolras filled with anxiety when he realized what he'd done. Enjolras shook the thought from his head. Javert couldn't have gathered much from the short time he'd spent behind the barricade, anyways. Instead he used the obstacle to further fuel his fire. He calmed himself and regained his inner composure.

_"Bravo, little Gavroche, you're the top of the class!"_ praised Courfeyrac.

"_So what are we going to do about this snake in the grass?" _ Feuilly chimed in.

_"Take this man and throw him in the tavern in there. The people will decide you're fate, Inspector Javert," _Enjolras ruled.

_"Shoot me now or shoot me later," _Javert spat. Two men held one arm each, holding him back, _"Every schoolboy to his sport. Death to each and every traitor! I renounce your people's court." _ _Les Amis_ dragged him inside to the first floor of the Cafe. But Javert threw the man off each arm and punched Enjolras square in the mouth. Enjolras reeled back and Combeferre caught him. Enjolras steadied himself and gave Combeferre a thank-you nod. He lip felt fat, but he ignored it for the time being. Enjolras grabbed a the butt of a pistol and whapped Javert in the head with it, knocking him unconscious.

...

Evelyn rushed down the stairs to see what the source of the commotion was on the first floor. From what she gathered, the man who Enjolras had sent to get the enemy plans was a traitor. She came down after the brawl, and one of the _Amis_ was pressing his forehead with his hand, blood seeping out between the fingers. Evelyn didn't even skip a beat. She rushed to the young man and started walking him to the stairs. On her way, she saw Enjolras a foot away bleeding rather profusely from the lower lip and doing nothing about it. "Enjolras!" she gained his attention, "you know your lip is bleeding right?"

He turned to her and looked almost surprised at first, "Yes."

"Do you want something from the medical supplies upstairs?"

"No _mademoiselle_, I am fine." Enjolras wasn't going to waste precious resources on a little cut. Instead, he pressed his handkerchief to it in an attempt to wipe some of the blood away. Evelyn looked at him almost quizzically and then led Feuilly, who was cut on his forehead, upstairs.

...

Evelyn sat the young man on the a chair. Joly had given her the chance to prove that she was skilled enough to at least do a simple stitch. Evelyn peeled off the student's hand from his forehead, exposing a gash underneath. Instead of flinching, the familiar look of interest took over Evelyn. "Tell me about your injury, _monsieur_." Evelyn said.

"Well, Javert threw me off his arm, and I hit the table. Maybe there was some glass on it? I don't know," the young man supplied.

Evelyn brushed back the brown hair that was plastered to his forehead with blood. "Well," Evelyn started, "it looks like you might need stitches for this one." She dabbed his forehead with a wet cloth to try and see the gash better. It was about three inches long, just below the hairline, and shallow. An easy fix. She went to the bar to gather the stitching needle and catgut that Joly had brought. A small whimper escaped from the student as she brought back the supplies. For Evelyn, knowing that she was going to have to cause her patient pain in order to heal the wound was the hardest part. She offered a sympathetic expression and a wad of gauze for him to bite on.

Joly assessed her work. She had put in six stitches total. Each was perfectly executed, except the last, which was slightly askew, but passable. Evelyn could not stop staring at that last stitch. _Merde. Maybe if i had held his head a little harder I could have made it straight. But he was in so much pain... I just wanted to get it over with_. Joly turned to her and put his hand on her shoulder, "Good job, Evelyn. For somebody who has never worked in the field before, I'd say this is pretty impressive." Evelyn blushed a little and stuck her chin up just slightly. Her reverie was disturbed by the sound of an army marching in.

...

Enjolras just finished composing _les Amis _ after the scuffle when he heard the coordinated march of foot soldiers coming down the narrow street towards the Cafe Musain. "To your stations!" Enjolras commanded.

He looked up and felt betrayed when the citizens of Paris began closing their shutters to them.

Enjolras found his spot near the top of the barricade where he could see out towards the advancing army through the wheel of an overturned carriage. Various phrases such as "hold your fire" and "positions" sounded off from the _Amis_. Enjolras was proud of them.

The soldiers halted and knelt about 30 feet away from the barricade. The lieutenant called out, "Who's there?"

Everyone looked to Enjolras to speak. They could all see the bright blue burning in his eyes. "The French Revolution!" he shouted through the spokes.

"FIRE!"

...

Bullets flew at the Cafe Musain. A few shattered the second story window, sending shards at Evelyn. Luckily, her instincts told her to duck, and the only glass that hit her was a sizable chunk that grazed the top of her hair slightly. Joly and Feuilly had already left for the barricade and she was alone in the Cafe, save for Javert.

Round after round was volleyed from both sides. She could hear chaos errupting outside. Bullets whizzed through the room, burying themselves in the wall with a hard thud.

Her heart raced and she felt her chest tighten, the room spun a little. She internally chastised herself, _Evelyn, you cant let emotion overpower you in the middle of battle. _

Suddenly, all firing stopped. She took this opportunity to run down to the barricade and aide anyone who needed her. She gathered a handful of bandages and hurried down.

...

Enjolras was fighting for his life. The _Ami's_ were outnumbered, but Enjolras would never give up. And, following his example, neither would _les Amis. _He shot a soldier in the stomach, sending him down to the cobblestone. Marius grabbed his attention, "FALL BACK! Fall back or I blow the barricade!" He was holding a barrel of gunpowder and a torch at the top of the barricade. Had he gone completely mad?

But it worked. The soldiers fell back. Enjolras took the torch from Marius's hand and climbed down the barricade. Rain started to fall down on them and the men on both sides took shelter. Enjolras lingered at the bottom, contemplating the next attack.

Evelyn flew out of the cafe and onto the battle field. A few locks of hair had fallen out of her braid and framed her face which betrayed an intense expression of determination. In her hand she held bandages ready to be applied to an injured _Ami_. She attracted Enjolras's attention immediately. She made her way to a student who held his bicep in pain and bandage his arm and hand him off to Joly, who led him up the stairs to the medical center. She gradually made her way to the right side of the barricade. His heart sank as he watched her expression turn from fearlessness to absolute horror.

...

Evelyn's world started spinning. Her eyes were lying to her. It was impossible. Eponine was not bleeding out in the arms of Marius.

As she got closer, she realized that, in fact, she was wrong, but not for the better: her friend had already bled out. Evelyn let out a wail as she realized what happened, Courfeyrac came behind her and held her by the waist, "Oh God! Oh, Eponine, no! Please!" The rest disintegrated into racking sobs. Evelyn, with outstretched arms, called her friend's name, hoping to take her back from the angels.

Enjolras's marble heart almost cracked. Watching the Evelyn's spirit break was enough to make even Enjolras look down the pavement. He also felt a small, very small, twinge of something when Courfeyrac comforted her.

He and Joly moved and lifted Eponine's body from Marius, making her the first corpse they would lay in the alley.

...

After Enjolras and Joly took Eponine away, leaving Marius alone at the bottom of the barricade. Something in Evelyn snapped. She broke free from Courfeyrac's grasp and rushed over to Marius. She held his shirt in two fists and brought his face close to hers. "_This is your fault,"_ she hissed "She _loved _you. And you manipulated her!"

Enjolras and the other _Ami_'s, Marius included, were shocked. It was an odd sight to see a strapping young bourgeois intimidated by a thin, petite woman. Enjolras saw a toxic dark green wash over her eyes, her face pinched with hurt and anger. Her dark hair was slicked against her head from the heavy rain.

"She died before today- she died when you asked her about Cosette. You _knew_. _And you did nothing._" Evelyn pushed his shirt into his chest and stormed back into the Cafe. Only after she disappeared up the staircase did the _Amis_ get over the shock of the incident and continue their work.

...

Evelyn wanted to throw-up. She felt shame burn underneath her skin. But mostly, she felt immense grief. She sank behind the bar on the second flood, and cried silent sobs.

Enjolras didn't know to feel disappointment that Evelyn had lost such control like that, or be impressed that she had actually told Marius the truth. Enjolras didn't involve himself too much in the love affairs of Pontmercy, but he knew that the Eponine girl wasn't in the happiest of places. Regardless, Marius was his close friend, and he comforted him.

Joly held no resentment towards Evelyn for abandoning her post as medic. Besides, the injuries were light enough that he didn't need any extra assistance.


	6. Understanding

_Chapter 6  
~Understanding~_

The rain persisted for a while. At least it hid Evelyn's crying, much to her comfort. The men sat idly around the first floor. Nobody dared to go up to the second. Enjolras tapped his fingers on the table with one hand, reading The Republic in another. He was disturbed from his reading when a man called out, "Don't shoot!" He clambered to the top of the barricade to meet the newcomer, an older man.

_Les Ami's_ let him past the barricade, but surrounded him with guns and told him the story of Javert, expecting him to admit to his intended betrayal.

"Enemy marksman!" he shouted out and shot at the corner of the roof of the stable.

All the _Ami_'s looked up and saw soldiers preparing to shoot. Every soldier was shot down and the _Ami_'s suffered no casualties. Enjolras turned to the man, "Thank you, _monsieur_."

Valjean responded, "_Give me no thanks, monsieur. There's something you can do."_

_"If it is in my power," _Enjolras obliged.

_"Give the spy Javert, let me take care of him."_

_"Do what you have to do. The man belongs to you," _ Enjolras handed him a pistol.

...

Enjolras could see that all the men were exhausted. The rain had stopped, and they were all gathered outside. _"Courfeyrac, you take the watch, they may attack it's light. Everybody keep the faith, for certain as our banner flies, we are not alone. The people, too, must rise."_

"Drink with me, to days gone by," Grantaire started it off.

"To the life that used to be. At the shrine of friendship, never say die. May the wine of friendship never run dry. Here's to you, and here's to me," The _Ami's _joined in. They all had a brotherly bond that Enjolras was proud to say he took part in. He smiled slightly as he reminisced about the memories from the early days of the goup.

The _Amis_ spent the next few hours drinking, which Enjolras had no interest in. He gave in to his suddenly piqued sense of curiosity and checked on Evelyn.

...

Evelyn was a mess. Her hair had only partially dried from the rain, most of it had fallen out of the braid, and a chunk of it at the front was much shorter than the others, probably from when the glass hit her a few hours ago. _A few hours ago, when Eponine was still breathing... _for the hundredth time, Evelyn felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. Her eyes were red and puffy from all the tears. And more importantly, her spiritual self was shattered. Gone, for now, was the sensibility, all that remained was the intensity.

Evelyn heard someone step up the stairs. She rolled to the side opposite the entrance to the bar, hoping to shield herself from whatever shame would be coming towards her for her episode with Marius. But when she saw Enjolras's boots out of the corner of her eye, she stayed seated, but straightened her posture and stuck her chin up. She would not let him have the satisfaction of seeing her broken down.

He spoke to her first. "_Mademoiselle_," he said, with an almost gentle tone.

Evelyn said nothing, only whipped her head towards him and glared.

Enjolras was mildly startled by her appearance but cleared his throat and continued, "You were not wrong when you spoke to Marius."

Now Evelyn was surprised. Not that she thought she had been wrong, but she didn't expect Enjolras, a close friend of Marius, to side with her. She only blinked at his statement, for she had not the will nor the energy to do anything else. He continued, "The battle is not over yet, and we need you." Enjolras almost felt like "we need you" was a little mushy, but it was true. They needed all the force they could muster. "I understand how you feel-"

"That is where you are wrong, Enjolras. You don't," when Evelyn spoke it was a hoarse whisper.

Enjolras was annoyed at first, but quickly realized she was right. "Then explain it to me," Enjolras regretted it almost as soon as he said it. Well, it was better than being in a room with drunkards. He sat down on the wall opposite Evelyn. His legs didn't fit in the small space, and he had to bend them a little bit.

Evelyn looked at him and spoke without emotion, "If this is what I look like on the outside, how do you think I feel on the inside?" She was right. Her posture was now slumped more than anything, and her eyes drooped both with fatigue and tears. Where a smile, or at least a smirk, usually occupied, there was a small frown, her lower lip trembling a little. She was broken. It was so odd to Enjolras to see how one event could completely reverse a person.

Evelyn wasn't surprised by Enjolras's reactions or lack there of. He was the marble lover of liberty. Why should he been interested in a poor French woman's personal problems? The main reason Evelyn even answered him was because she wanted to gain some insight as to why he even bothered himself with her. He couldn't be mocking her, he would have taken that opportunity when he first walked up the steps... Her thoughts were interrupted by Enjolras, yet again.

"You should rest," He affirmed. Evelyn wanted so badly to defy him and spring up as if she had days of sleep, but she knew he was right. Sleep would clear her mind, at least enough so that she could attend to the wounded for the battle that would surely come tomorrow. But sleep with twenty seven boisterous college students a floor below her? Evelyn rather uncomfortable at the thought of it. Enjolras spoke as if he had read her mind, "I'll stand watch," Evelyn's face must've betrayed her thoughts or suspicion, for Enjolras clarified, "I mean, I'll sit at one of the tables and read _The Republic_." He tapped the volume he held in his right hand. Evelyn could've sworn he'd blushed a little

Evelyn complied and curled up in a little ball behind the bar.


	7. Fire

_Chapter 7_

_~Fire~_

Enjolras chose the seat where he could see both the staircase, for Evelyn's sake, and the barricade, for his. He swept the shards of glass off the broken table and plopped down in the chair and slid down to the most comfortable position he could get in. He cracked open _The Republic_ and let the pages flop around. They landed on the only page currently dog-eared- where Evelyn had stopped. His mouth twitched in which one could possible interpret to be a smile.

Enjolras must've dozed off, because the next thing he remembered was seeing the early morning sunlight stream through the half-shattered window panes. He groggily wiped the sleep out of his eyes and let out a little groan as he twisted his sore neck. He didn't hear anybody else up.

Which made it more startling when he saw Evelyn.

She was cleaning glass off the other surfaces in the room. Now Enjolras could see her and Joly's battle station in full glory. Jars full of gauze and bandages occupied a two-person table. Underneath the table rested a basket, which was filled with various herbs and plants. Medical instruments that either were Joly's or on "loan" from the university were placed on the bar, among them stitching needles and spools of catgut.

"_Bonjour_, _monsieur_," Evelyn said gently. She looked better than when Enjolras last saw her. Evelyn's eyes were less blood shot and her posture was back to the borderline-arrogant way it was before. Her hair tumbled down her back in loose waves, the usual french braid absent. She tried to tuck it behind her ears, but the locks just fell back into her face.

"_Bonjour, mademoiselle_," he replied. His voice was a little hoarse from yesterday. He only got a few hours of sleep. He continued, "Did you sleep well last night?" He gathered his book and put on his jacket, which had somehow worked it's way off.

"Fine," Evelyn responded. Her voice had a different tone than it used to, almost... Enjolras couldn't quite place it. The best way to describe it would be mentally present, but emotionally absent. He shrugged it off and descended to the first floor.

...

It was like Evelyn had flipped a switch. Before she fell asleep, and long after Enjolras had, she vowed to not let emotion get in the way of her duty. And the cold desire for revenge replaced grief.

Evelyn had lied awake for forever until she heard Enjolras snoring softly. If she weren't so torn up she might've giggled. Besides the snoring, he was just a restless sleeper. He twisted around in his chair, making new awkward poses every fifteen minutes. Evelyn knew he wouldn't get any rest if he moved around like this. And if he was going to lead _les Amis_ like he would have to, he needed some.

...

Enjolras walked outside to the barricade. It was humid, and the smell of gunpowder lingered in the air. He climbed the barricade and pulled himself up to the roof and scanned his territory. _Please let the other barricades still be standing._

Enjolras's felt like he had been punched in the chest by what he didn't see. The barricades were completely obliterated. They were the last barricade standing. He jumped off the roof and clambered down the barricade.

He woke the _Ami's_ with a wolf-whistle. They groggily stood up and attended to their various posts. Some rubbed their heads, attempting to suppress the hangover. _Idiots._

Marius, while they were fixing the barricade, spoke to him first, "I was right. The rain damaged the gunpowder. We're low on ammunition."

Enjolras one-upped him, "We're the only barricade left." He shoved a chair in the mass of furniture.

"What?" Marius asked in disbelief. The other _Amis_ heard him and looked at Enjolras.

"We're the only ones left," he said again, _"The people have not stirred. We're abandoned by those who still live in fear. Let us not waste lives. Let all who wish to, go from here."_ He maintained his outward composure, but he felt a little twinge of fear. Whoever stayed was going to die fighting.

All _les Amis _stayed.

Gavroche interrupted the silence, _"Do you hear the people sing, singing the song of angry men?"_ The other _Amis_ joined in._ "It is the music of the people who will not be slaves again. When the beating of your heart echoes the beating of the drums, there is a life about to start when tomorrow comes."_ Enjolras would have smiled if he wasn't so focused on what only a miracle could bring.

Marius turned to Enjolras, "I'm going into the colonnade. There are dead bodies, dry ammunition." Enjolras sent him off with a nod.

Enjolras heard a shot fired. He looked to the barricade, where he saw Combeferre at the top, harshly whispering "Gavroche."

Another shot fired. Enjolras could hear Gavroche taunting the armies, "_We'll fight like 20 armies and we won't give up!_"

Courfeyrac tried to climb to the top, frantically screaming, "Gavroche! Gavroche, what are you doing?" Feuilley and Jehan held him down to the barricade.

One more shot. Enjolras heard Gavroche's little voice grinding out, _"So you better... run for cover," _

"Get off me you dirty bastard!" Courfeyrac yelled. Enjolras scrambled to locate the little boy. Coufeyrac ran around the barricade to an archway that had a path to Gavroche.

"_when the pup grows-"_

The last gunshot cracked. A light thud sounded on the road just a few feet from the barricade. Enjolras went to the side, musket ready, where he could see little Gavroche's body crumpled in a little heap. In his hands were packets of ammunition. Enjolras swelled with rage. _How dare they shoot a child. _Even though he was focused on the revolution, Enjolras had grown quite fond of Gavroche, who was always willing to do whatever he could to help the cause. He blinked back tears that threatened to roll down his marble cheeks. _The revolution is no time for tears_. Instead, he used his rage to fuel his hatred for the army. _Les Amis_ felt the same way.

Courfeyrac ran out to Gavroche, picked him up, and brought him behind the barricade, sobbing. The officer of the army called _les Ami_'s attention, "_You at the barricades, listen to this! The people of Paris sleep in their beds. You have no chance, no chance at all! Why throw your lives away?"_ Enjolras looked at his brothers. They all felt the same way: they would not stand down.

Enjolras spoke to _les Ami's_, "_Let us die facing our foes, make them bleed while we can,"_

Combeferre answered, _"Make them pay through the nose!"_

Courfeyrac, who was in Combeferre's arms, added, _"Make them pay for every man."_

Enjolras rallied them once more, taking his post with his musket by the flag. "_Let others rise to take our place, until the Earth is free!"_

_"CANNONS! Quick as you can! Come on!_"

_..._

Evelyn looked out the window, frozen. Her hand covered her open mouth and her eyes were wide. _Little Gavroche is dead. _She was brought back to the present by cannon fire. Determination filled her again, there were sure to many injuries. Evelyn ignored the thought of casualties.

...

Enjolras lead his friends. "FIRE!" he shouted. Their second round of bullets were met with cannon balls.

The iron ripped through the wooden barricade, sending splinters of furniture at _les Amis_. One hit Enjolras on his forehead, leaving a sizable gash. He hardly noticed it.

Combeferre called to him, "There's more men! There's more men Enjolras!"

Evelyn rushed onto the battle field without hesitation. She dragged wounded _Amis _from the barricade into the Musain. Valjean helped her get them up the stairs.

She stitched up 5 wounds in the first 10 minutes. Albeit they were sloppily done, but enough to get the men back onto the battle field.

Valjean would carry a man up the stairs and sit him in a chair, leaving him to Evelyn. Evelyn would then frantically clean and close the wound and wrap a bandage around it. She saved the anesthesia for any severe injury, which, thankfully, she hadn't had any of yet. Her brows creased and she chewed her lower lip as she worked on a patient. Evelyn then sent the man out to the barricade to fight again.

...

The first 10 minutes went the best. _Les Amis _took down more soldiers than they lost. Only two students so far had fallen. Enjolras felt the loss of his brothers like a stab in the chest. _They will not die in vain_.

The soldiers abandoned their cannons and advanced on foot. They greatly outnumbered _les Amis_.

_Les Amis _couldn't keep the soldiers from scaling the barricade. Enjolras refused to identify the corpses.

Feuilly screamed over the artillery fire, "We need the door! We need to barricade the door!" Enjolras agreed. He led _les Amis_, or who was left, into the first floor of the Musain. But soldiers were on their tail and never gave them the chance to build a second obstacle. They shot down a few more students. Enjolras ran up the stairs, followed by Grantaire, Combeferre, and Coufeyrac.

...

Evelyn watched the soldiers close in. She had just sent her last patient down. The steady trickle of them had thinned to almost nobody by then. The fight moved right below Evelyn and, before she fish out injured students, Enjolras and three other _Amis_ ran up the stairs. They all were covered in sweat, dirt, and blood. She locked eyes with Enjolras and gave him an acknowledging nod. They were all that was left.

Joly, Courfeyrac, and Combeferre all made sounds of fear and anxiety. Enjolras was the only one that kept his composure. _Leave it to the marble lover of liberty to die like this..._ Evelyn thought.

They stood about five feet away from Evelyn, when with a crack of gunfire, all but Enjolras fell. Evelyn rushed to his side and pulled a pistol from his gun belt. She took a firing stance and cocked it, aiming for the stairs. Enjolras argued with her, "What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm dying for the cause, like you are, Enjolras! I'm fully committed to this!" She screamed back. _Defiant, again, _thought Enjolras.

Enjolras stared at Evelyn. In short, she was beautiful.

Her dress was stained with blood and gunpowder. Her cockade was in her hair as a makeshift pin and her brows knitted together with an incredulous expression on her face. She was holding a gun aimed for the enemy. _Beautiful_.

They both turned away from each other when the soldiers marched to the top of the stairs, aiming the guns at their hearts. All fired.

Pain ripped through Evelyn's shoulder. Another bullet grazed her thigh. She blacked out from the pain and hit the floor.

...

Evelyn woke to an a room empty of living people when it was still light. Her right leg felt on fire, and blood had soaked through her skirt on her thigh. She lifted up her skirt and examined the wound. Her left shoulder screamed in protest. Evelyn winced, and just used her right. It would need stitches, but the bleeding had stopped mostly. She sat up and looked around. Enjolras lied on her left, motionless, his face contorted in pain. _Odd... I thought dead people were supposed to look peaceful._ She bent over him to check his pulse, just in case.


	8. Fallen

_Chapter 8  
~Fallen~_

It was faint, but it was there. Adrenaline coursed through her veins again, she was re-filled with energy. Evelyn checked his pulse on his neck. Still a pulse. Evelyn laughed in disbelief. _The man just won't die_.

She started taking off his scarlet coat. Blood soaked through his shirt and seeped under the vest. Evelyn gulped. _The Republic _was tucked into the pocket of his coat, miraculously escaping with only a small blood stain on the cover.

In ordinary circumstances, she would have felt extremely awkward removing a young man's shirt. However these were not ordinary circumstances. She peeled off each garment until his chest was bare. It would be a lie to say he wasn't toned.

Evelyn's familiar look of determination swept her face. She couldn't let a handsome man distract her from her patient.

He had three bullet holes: One through the bicep, another through the right shoulder, and the last just above his left hip. _These soldiers are the worst shots I have ever seen_. The bicep and shoulder ones would be easy enough, but the hip one scared her; it had the highest chance of hitting a vital organ. She let out a deep breath and hobbled over to the table with all the medical supplies on it, conveniently placed across the room.

When she returned with bandages, the basket of herbs, and disinfectant, Enjolras had just began to stir. He opened his eyes and moved his head around a bit. Evelyn knelt next to him, "Enjolras? Enjolras, can you hear me?" It came out a little harsher than she intended it to be. He just looked around the room, confused. She dug around in the basket, but didn't recognize anything. _Merde_.

Well, she needed to do something fast, because he was really bleeding. She dipped a pad of gauze in antiseptic and began.

...

Evelyn ran into an obstacle at the hip wound. She couldn't find an exit hole. Having to dig around to find the bullet was something she never wanted to re-live. Enjolras's screams of anguish rang in her ears long after he passed out. Evelyn thought she had killed him. She finally fished the bullet out and closed the wound, breathing a heavy sigh. She ran her hands on her skirt to wipe them of some blood and relaxed for a few minutes.

She checked his legs: just a few scratches. Nothing a little antiseptic couldn't fix. Having to take off his pants and put them back on made Evelyn uncomfortable. At least it was comfort knowing he didn't feel for her romantically.

Evelyn tended to her own wounds now. She scooted back so that she could rest her back against the wall, but still keep an eye on Enjolras. She slipped her sleeve off her left shoulder and gritted her teeth in pain. She couldn't move it, either. At least she found an exit wound. Evelyn just sanitized it and wrapped a bandage around, she couldn't have stitched behind her.

Now for her thigh. She lifted her skirt again. The wound had opened a little more and was bleeding again, thanks to stretching it around when she was fixing up Enjolras. It would definitely require stitches. She sucked in air when the needle first pierced her flesh. Tunnel vision constantly impaired her ability, and her body was so shaky, she only managed to put in half the stitches she wanted to.

...

It was twilight now. Evelyn had moved herself and dragged Enjolras to the little nook behind the bar (if somebody was coming up the stairs, she wanted hide or at least have enough heads up to get a pistol ready). She lit a single candle, which only provided enough light in her vicinity- the corpses of _les Amis_ disturbed her.

Evelyn sat cross-legged, cradling Enjolras's head in her lap. She cleansed the gash on his forehead. When she first touched it, his face twitched, showing he was at least alive. She continued to gently pad it in an attempt to not disturb him. It seemed to be working for the time being. The blood ran into his hairline, and his blond curls were coated with a fine dust and matted. He was a sorry sight, all bandaged up and dirty. He was the leader for the revolution, and like the revolution, he had fallen. A twinge of sadness hit Evelyn.

She lied down next to Enjolras, his face inches away from hers, and closed her eyes.

...

Evelyn didn't sleep well. Enjolras was just as restless injured as healthy, and added little whimpers in. At least it alerted Evelyn to that fact that he was burning up. They didn't have any water, so she took off his coat and boots. Evelyn also had to replace the bandages twice and re-stitch his arm. She was happy about none of this, and behind her eyes burned.

A few hours into morning, she heard footsteps come up the stairs. She curled up behind the bar, hoping nobody would see her. Enjolras was out cold, so the only noise that the intruder could notice would come from her.

From their voices, Evelyn could tell they were men. They stopped where the dead bodies laid. The newcomers lifted their bodies, and one by one, removed them from the battle-stricken cafe. Evelyn felt hot tears roll down her cheeks. She wiped them away immediately.

She waited a few minutes until after they had come for the final time before she breathed again. Enjolras stirred. She called his name quietly. No response. His fever still hadn't broken, sweat plastered his head to his forehead. Evelyn could feel herself getting warmer, too. _Merde!_ Fever was a sign of infection, which added to their wounds would end in disaster unless they got help. She tried to stand up, but her leg buckled under her. She hated being helpless. She dug into Enjolras's coat's pockets and read _The Republic_.

...

Evelyn sat in quiet for hours until she heard footsteps again. She instinctually shrank against the bar.

The mystery person sat in a chair at the other end of the floor. Evelyn waited.

"_There's a grief that can't be spoken,"_ it was Marius. _Of all the people..._ _"There's pain goes on and on. Empty chairs at empty tables, now my friends are dead and gone."_

_No they aren't..._ Evelyn jumped up, "Marius!" She leaned on the bar for support. He was wearing fresh clothes and his left arm was in a sling. _Damn him. _

Needless to say he was shocked. "I have Enjolras!" she explained. Had she been alone, she would have been to proud to ask him of a favor, but Enjolras was going to die if he didn't get adequate attention. Marius's eyes widened further. He rushed over to them and knelt at his friend's body. He probably found it strange that he was shirtless, but Evelyn decided to be positive and believe that things could be worse. Anyways, her actions were completely justified.

"Cosette!" Marius yelled. Evelyn heard dainty footsteps scale the stairs. Marius spoke to the girl, asking her to get Joly and a servant. _Joly's alive too?_ Maybe Enjolras wouldn't be last _Ami_ standing, after all. Marius asked her what happened, so she explained the events of last night. She didn't go into complete detail, of course, but she gave him the basics of Enjolras's injuries, and his injuries only. She could manage her self, she could just place herself in a hospital nearby.

Joly arrived and interrogated Evelyn while examining Enjolras.

"And what about yourself, mademoiselle?" he had asked.

"Nothing serious," she responded, "just a cut on my leg." Joly nodded. He finished examining Enjolras, which consisted of taking off the bandages and exposing the wounds. Evelyn winced.

"This is a miracle," he said, astounded.

"I know," said Evelyn, "Those soldiers were terrible shots, weren't they?"

Joly looked at her in disbelief and let out a small laugh, "No _mademoiselle_,their shoddy firing skills isn't why he's alive. It's you." Marius and Joly carried Enjolras's large frame down the stairs, leaving Evelyn speechless.

She didn't want to let up the real severity of the injury, so she stood up, biting her lip as she put the minimum pressure on her bad leg. She made sure not to forget _The Republic _and Enjolras's coat.


	9. Woken

The ride in the carriage was uncomfortable, at least for Evelyn. She had never been in a carriage, and this one was particularly nice because it was Marius's. She tried not to get blood on anything. Also, the cobblestone streets were uneven, causing Evelyn's shoulder and leg to jostle around. Joly must have seen her face go pale with pain because he asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing," Evelyn replied firmly. She didn't want to be babied. Joly looked at her closer.

"Oh my God! I can see the blood seeping through on your shoulder!" he exclaimed. Joly, who was sitting across from her, moved in between her and Marius, accidentally knocking her shoulder. Evelyn sucked in through her teeth. He felt her forehead. "And a fever too? My God, Evelyn, you are ridiculous. You're not much better off than our friend here," he gestured to Enjolras. Evelyn deemed that ridiculous. Evelyn was conscious, had one less bullet hole, and who lot less of other bumps and bruises. She sighed at Joly's direction and glared as if to say "Really?"

When they arrived at Marius's residence, Evelyn didn't want to get out. Joly practically had to drag her. She stepped out of the carriage on her bad leg and crumpled. Joly caught her before she hit the gravel. He insisted on carrying her inside. _Idiot_, Evelyn told herself.

Joly placed her in a back room by the kitchen. Two clean white cots were in the corner, one on each side. One of them had a view to the gardens. Joly deposited her on that one. He left her without instruction, so she opened _The Republic_. When he returned with Enjolras he commented on it good-naturedly, "I see Enjolras has converted you, huh?"

Evelyn just smiled and didn't look up from the book. Once Joly and Marius had placed Enjolras on the cot, Joly sent for Marius to get his medical supplies.

"All right, let me see," Joly gestured to her shoulder. Evelyn tried to slip her arm out of her sleeve, but her shoulder wouldn't cooperate. So instead her shoulder just hunched up against her neck. "Um.. I'm going to have to see more." Joly sounded embarrassed. Just then Marius came in with his tools. "Ah perfect," Joly pulled out a pair of scissors and began cutting away at the back shoulder portion of her dress.

Marius laughed, "How would Musichetta feel?"

Joly sent a harsh "Shut up" back. Evelyn blushed. This was uncomfortable for everybody.

When Joly unwrapped the bandages he let out a sigh of dismay. Both because she was painfully thin and the bullet wound was showing signs of infection.

Joly laid Evelyn on her stomach and situated his chair so that her shoulder was in front of his knees. "Can you move it all all?" Evelyn shook her head no. She could hear medical instruments clacking together. "Ok, so what I'm going to do it work on the back side first, because that's the biggest wound. Unfortunately, you're showing signs of infection, which means I will have to give it a good cleaning before I stitch it. On a good note, I do have local anesthetic, so this shouldn't hurt too much."

Evelyn prepared herself. She felt Joly rub something into the wound, which she assumed was the anesthetic. Soon, that area was numb.

Joly worked that would for about forty-five minutes, cleaning and stitching. He moved to the front side and did a smaller amount of work there.

Next, he asked Evelyn about the "cut" on her leg. Joly half expected her leg not to even be there after she had not even said anything about her shoulder. The rip in her skirt left a hole big enough for Joly to see what was going on, no need to further embarrass the girl. The bullet just grazed her, but it left a six inch long gash on the side of her thigh, about halfway in between her hip and her knee. Also infected. _Enjolras's showed little infection, had she not even thought about herself? _Joly wondered.

Joly had evelyn lie on her side so that the gash faced the ceiling. Joly got to work.

...

By the end of her doctor's visit, Evelyn was exhausted. She was used to the sleepless nights and lack of food, but coupled with her injuries, she felt rather faint. Joly handed her a simple cotton dress to change into, probably one of the maid's. Evelyn didn't mind. Joly did it out of practicality. Anyways, Evelyn was most likely going to get blood on it at some point in the next 24 hours. He also bought in a bowl of soup. _Fresh soup_. Evelyn couldn't remember the last time she'd had some. She was careful not to eat it too fast and not to drop any of it on _The Republic_, which she was reading again.

Joly kept her company, as he was working on Enjolras a few feet away. Evelyn couldn't help but feel a little proud when he complimented her on her mostly successful endeavor. Both of their fevers had broken as well, so things were definitely looking up.

Evelyn put her head on the clean pillow and fell asleep when it was still light outside.

...

Joly was genuinely frightened when he saw Evelyn's shoulder injury. It grated through the bone and the exit wound was monstrous. The thing had nearly gone septic, too.

She was like Enjolras: they both hated being cared for by others, they both were obsessed with _The Republic,_ and glares and eyebrows knitted made up 90% of their facial expressions. Joly confirmed it with Marius. They would totally support Enjolras if he changed his celibate ways.

Joly worked on Enjolras lasted until nightfall. The bicep and shoulder wounds were both stitched textbook-perfectly. The hip one was the most dramatic injury between the two. Joly had to re-open the stitches to see if the bullet had caused any internal damage; he fixed what minimal damage there was.

It was amazing how Evelyn fixed Enjolras, and Joly respected her for it. Especially with how little resources and experience she had. Joly's respect for Evelyn shot higher. Not just as a person, but as a doctor. She deserved to be in medical school more than half the people who were classmates with him.

...

Enjolras woke to summer light streaming through the windows. He lifted his left arm to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Pain ripped through his bicep. He winced and put it back down. Less pain came from the right. As he opened his eyes he examined his surroundings. Opposite him, underneath the window sat a cot, that held _Patria_, propped up and reading _The Republic_. This was his heaven. He sighed heavily and a smile of content spread over his face.

Suddenly, _Patria_, rushed over and bent over him, her dark hair curtaining her face, deep blue eyes shining brightly. She looked strangely like Evelyn, which he was ok with. He tried to speak, but no sound came out.

...

That morning, Evelyn had her first bath in what felt like forever. Hot water washed over her, turning her fair skin pink. The wash maid insisted on scrubbing her down, met by much defiance from Evelyn. She washed her hair as well. Cosette came in and handed her an old navy-blue day dress. Evelyn refused it at first, but Cosette insisted. Evelyn decided she liked Cosette.

Evelyn was disturbed from her reading by motion from the other cot. Evelyn put down her book and rushed over to Enjolras, who was disoriented, but awake. "Joly!" she cried.

Enjolras thought it odd that _Patria_ called his friend. _Oh wait, we're all in heaven now. Les Amis de heaven. _He giggled lightly at his own joke.

Evelyn thought it odd that Enjolras was laughing. Maybe Joly had filled him with some really heavy medicine?

Joly came with Marius in tow. He rushed over to Enjolras and grabbed him by his shirt, getting a little too excited, "Enjolras! Enjolras can you hear me?" He couldn't wipe the smile off his face. Marius let out a little whoop of joy.

"We're in heaven Joly! Where's the other _Amis_?" Enjolras eventually slurred out.

Joly looked at Marius, both confirming the sad truth. Joly spoke, his face fallen, "We're not in heaven, Enjolras."

Enjolras just looked more confused, "Yes we are, I see _Patria_." He gestured over to Evelyn. Joly was too sad to laugh at that.

"No, Enjolras, that's Evelyn. Remember Evelyn?" Marius corrected. He was almost bent over from laughing. Joly glared at him. Marius stopped.

Enjolras slowly came to his senses. Reality hit him like a brick wall. He was in Marius's house. That was Evelyn, not _Patria_. His brothers were dead. A wail of grief escaped his lips. He rolled his face into the pillow.

Joly gestured for Marius and Evelyn to leave, but Evelyn refused. She felt responsible for Enjolras, and didn't really feel like spending quality time with Marius. Instead she returned to her cot and read _The Republic_.

...

It was hard for Evelyn to read when someone was sobbing a few feet away from her. It was particularly disturbing to hear it come from Enjolras, the fearless leader of _les_ _Amis. _Evelyn reminded herself that he didn't have anything to lead anymore.

Joly held Enjolras for what felt like hours when Marius came back in the room. He spoke to Joly, whispering, "Joly, I'm sorry, but now that they're awake you have to go now."

Joly nodded his head slowly and let go of Enjolras, who just rolled over on his side and let the silent tears flow down. He couldn't stop recounting his brothers's deaths in his mind.

...

Joly carried Evelyn out to the carriage again, much to her annoyance. "I can walk myself!" She told him. He just ignored her.

The carriage ride was silent. Joly tried to make conversation, but nobody was really in the mood. Enjolras stared out the window, blankly. His eyes had dulled to a watery gray. He was still dirty from two days ago; there was still blood clumped up in his hair, the curls limp and straggled out. His face still had traces of soot and dirt. Marius had lent him a fresh shirt and beige trousers.

Joly explained that they were going to his parents townhouse just outside Paris. His parents left for the summer months, so it would be empty.

They arrived about an hour later.

...

Evelyn was stunned by the bourgeois home. Rich fabrics or lacquered wood covered every surface. A small crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling of the foyer, sending sparkles across the dentil molding. A grand staircase led up to a second floor on the right.

Joly supported Enjolras up the stairs. Evelyn grabbed Enjolras's coat and book and followed them. Pain shot up her right leg with every step.

Joly directed her to the second room on the left and deposited Enjolras a little down the hall.

The room was beyond luxurious. Light pink wall paper decorated with pastel flowers lined the walls. White, silk curtains draped from the two windows, in between them rested a mahogany vanity with a padded stool, and a matching canopy bed held multitudes of fluffy pillows and bedsheets. Evelyn walked into the room and saw a mahogany armoire across from the bed, decorated with intricate carvings. Curiosity got the better of her, and she opened it up.

A few dresses, obviously belonging to a bourgeoise woman, hung in it. Joly came in and saw her touching the gowns. "Like what you see?" he asked with a warm smile. Evelyn nodded yes. She wanted so badly to try one on. "Well we'll get you fitted tomorrow," Joly said, starting to walk out the door.

"What? _Monsieur_, I cannot. I will not-" Evelyn protested.

"Ah ah ah, _mademoiselle_, I have already made the arrangements," Joly poked his head in the doorframe, "Supper is in thirty minutes. If you need anything, just pull the bell above your bed." Joly left. Evelyn felt guilty about having Joly buy her things, but a part of her filled with glee as she lived her child-hood dream. She left her room to find out where Enjolras was.

...

Joly knew he was probably coming across as flirty, but in reality he was just appreciative. Evelyn had saved one of his closest friends. Anyways, she deserved the bourgeoise lifestyle after being stuck in the slums. His heart belonged to Musichetta.

...

Evelyn heard his weeping through the shut door two doors down from her own. She almost knocked on it, but decided that Enjolras would probably want to be left alone.

She descended down the stairs into the study. Floor to ceiling bookshelves lined every wall. A fireplace nestled in the corner. Two leather chairs ended a coffee table with a silver tea-tray on top. Evelyn started at the bookshelf closest to her and read each title, running her finger along the spine. The dinner bell rang when she was half way through the room.

...

Enjolras waited for the dinner bell to ring before he left. He opened the window and lowered himself so that his feet were 7 or 8 feet above the ground. He felt his shoulder scream and the stitches in his arm rip, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything. He snuck around the house and onto to Rue St. Denis, heading for the Pont Notre Dame.


	10. Murky

_Chapter 10_  
_~Murky~_

A woman in her mid-forties (Joly had called two of his parent's servants earlier) set the table before Joly and Evelyn arrived. Finer china than Evelyn had ever seen in her life sat in abundance before her. Silver utensils and linen napkins framed the plates. She almost didn't want food to touch it.

Evelyn and Joly waited for Enjolras to come to dinner for 10 minutes. Evelyn offered to go up to his room and get him.

She knocked on Enjolras's door. No response. She knocked again, impatiently.

No response. At that point, she just opened the door.

His room was formatted pretty much the same as hers, except the desk that was in place of the vanity. The curtains billowed from an open window.

Evelyn ran to it and stuck her head out of it, looking down. An indent was in she soil straight below her. "JOLY!" She called out, "Joly we have a runaway!"

They both flew out the front door. Evelyn suggested they try the bridge first. Might as well look where we don't want to see him.

Evelyn and Joly speed-walked past the people in the streets. They were trying not to attract attention to themselves, but Evelyn bumped into a few people, forgetting to say sorry.

...

Enjolras sat on the side of the stone bridge, his legs dangling off. The Seine swirled twenty feet below. A few people walked behind him. He heard them murmur something about the crazy man on the bridge. Enjolras was fine with that. He swung his feet back and forth, his hands in his lap, looking down into the murky water.

...

As Evelyn neared the bridge, she saw a figure sitting on the edge. Merde! That stupid idiot is going to be the end of me. She sprinted to it, sub-conscious panic gripping her chest.

...

Enjolras placed his hands on the stony ledge and breathed in. He pushed off.

But he didn't fall. He felt a small hand grab the back of his collar, suspending him for a moment.

...

Evelyn lunged at him just in time. She tried to grab the ledge with the other hand, but Enjolras was too heavy and her shoulder didn't have enough strength to it yet. Instead, they both crashed into the tepid river.

Their bodies collided when they hit the water and Evelyn's face hit Enjolras's knee. They both sunk as Evelyn held tight to Enjolras's collar and he made no effort to swim up. Joly must not've been too far behind because they heard another splash in the water and saw a white cloud of bubbles next to them.

Joly lifted Enjolras up, and Evelyn kicked herself to the surface, gasping for air. Enjolras tried to shove Joly off, but Joly wasn't letting him go anywhere. Luckily, they were close enough to the banks so that it didn't take too much effort to get to them. Evelyn's leg and shoulder protested even the short distance.

They aimed for a park that met the concrete banks, so they could easily hoist themselves to dry land. Joly almost slammed Enjolras onto the grass, trying to knock some sense into him. He let go of him and gave his hand to Evelyn, who was dragged down by her dress. She laid on her back on the grass, trying to catch her breath. She wanted to ask Enjolras, "What, were trying to get yourself killed?!" But Evelyn already knew the answer. She pitied Enjolras. His friends were dead, and he blamed himself for it.

Joly, Enjolras, and Evelyn walked back in silence.

...

It was dusk when the trio made it back to the house. Blood had seeped though the bandages on Evelyn's shoulder, further ruining Cosette's dress. A knot formed on her right cheek where Enjolras's knee had hit it. She tried to keep her teeth from chattering.

She had another bath, and Joly had to re-sanitize and re-stitch both her's and Enjolras's wounds. Joly did it with a smile, but Evelyn could tell he was starting feel abused. Evelyn descended to the study, picked out a thick leather-bound book, and brought it up to her room. All these books reminded her of her own personal collection. She made a mental note to get those sometime.

The same maid who set the table brought out a tray with fresh bread and beef stew, a gentle smile on her face. Evelyn thanked her, and the maid left after a quiet "you're welcome. The hot broth warmed her insides.

...

Joly came in to check on his patient after he finished with Enjolras. "Mademoiselle, still feeling up to tomorrow?" he asked from the open door frame. Evelyn lowered the book from her face.

"Monsieur, I have hardly looked forward to something more," Evelyn said this sincerely. What girl didn't dream of being outfitted like a bourgeoise?

...

As Joly stitched arm, Enjolras looked at him apologetically, tears rimming his pale, gray eyes. Joly squeezed his hand and left.

Enjolras was a failure. He hated himself. The maid brought in a plate of food, but Enjolras didn't touch it. He rolled over and cried himself to sleep.


	11. Fauchelevent's

_Chapter 11  
~Fauchelevent's~_

Evelyn woke to a someone knocking on her door. Everything about the bed was soft, and it made Evelyn never want to leave.

She sauntered over to the door in a night gown, which Joly gave her, saying it was his sisters old one.

Her leg felt and shoulder felt stiff, but she wouldn't let a little discomfort get in the way of custom-made dresses.

Evelyn let in and thanked the same middle-aged servant, who handed her a platter of fresh fruit and a warm croissant. She heard a feminine voice float up the stairs, "No, Joly, I want to meet her!" Dainty footsteps pattered against the stairs and up to her doorframe.

In the door stood an upper middle-class woman. Dressed in a light pink day dress embroidered with little rosettes, she wore a smile equal to the bubbly reputation that came with her name: Musichetta.

Her chestnut hair was piled on top of her head in a loose bun, curls framing her face. She smelled like roses and made Evelyn feel rather drab. Evelyn instinctively jutted her chin up.

Musichetta insisted on helping Evelyn get ready. At first she resisted (no amount of smiling would move her!), but she quickly realized she couldn't get dressed with her shoulder.

Musichetta helped Evelyn into a lavender day dress, complete with lacy collar and cuff detail (again, Joly's sister's). Evelyn munched on her food while Musichetta did her hair in a similar fashion to her own.

Evelyn couldn't help but smile a bit at her reflection. Her skin was fair under all the grime, a light spray of freckles decorated her nose and cheeks, and her hair lustrous. But she also felt like she was missing something.

Musichetta reminded Evelyn of a refined Eponine. She wished her friend were there with her, finally experiencing the luxuries with her. She blinked her tears back. _It has only three days, how much I miss her already_. Evelyn comforted herself the notion that her friend would be happier with God than in the slums.

The carriage ride into Paris was bearable. Musichetta chatted with Joly, then focused her attention on Evelyn: "Where are you from?" "Hobbies?" "Favorite color?"

"The slums of Saint Michel." "Reading." Evelyn thought on the last one. "Periwinkle."

Musichetta cringed a bit at "slums", but otherwise approved of her company.

When they arrived in Paris, Joly helped Musichetta out the carriage. Evelyn watched as they walked hand in hand into Fauchelevant's Tailor's Shop. She felt a bit of longing and crossed her arms.

The store's windows held dress forms clothed in intricately designed gowns. The shop was dripping with all kinds of fabrics. Bolts and bolts were nestled against one another in shelving along the walls. Evelyn ran her fingers against the ones at waist-level. A counter sat near the front, a be-spectacled old woman writing on papers occupying it. She looked up as a tinkle of the bell alerted her to the group's presence.

"Ah, _Monsieur _Joly and _Mademoiselle _Evelyn?" a look of mild confusion appeared when she didn't see a last name for Evelyn.

She led Evelyn behind the silk screen in the back of the shop, leaving Joly and Musichetta to sit in the wingback chairs at the front.

_Madame _Fauchelevant started unbuttoning Evelyn's dress at the back, exposing her bandages. The old woman muttered something under her breath commenting on how odd these customers were, first the lack of a proper name, and now bandages? Evelyn tried hard not to turn around and glare at the woman.

Evelyn's dress slipped off, exposing the thin chemise underneath. _Madame_ Fauchelevent tisked when she saw how thin her customer was. Evelyn didn't blame her, she could almost count all of her ribs, and her hips could barely count as a girl's.

The woman wound a tape measure around her waist, hips, and bust. She scratched her measurements down on a piece of paper. Then she took her height and sleeve lengths, marking those down, too.

_Madame_ Fauchelevant handed her dress back to her, and Evelyn gingerly slipped it back on, using her shoulder minimally.

They both emerged from behind the silk-screen at met Joly and Musichetta, who were chatting. They filled the two other chairs.

_Madame_ pulled out ten designs drawn carefully on sketching-paper from her basket. Musichetta assessed each one, handing them to Evelyn to either disagree or agree. Evelyn was having easy fun for the first time she could remember. She even shared a few giggles with Musichetta.

Evelyn and Musichetta chose four: a dark green, silk, day dress with giglot sleeves; a cream blouse with a peach, linen skirt; a periwinkle linen dress with gib, puffy, short sleeeves and a wide, cream sash at the waist (Evelyn's favorite); and another, fancier dress with a cream and burgundy brocade pattern.

Joly spoke to _Madame_ Fauchelevent, "I think we should add a an inch or two to her measurements, save height of course-" Evelyn and Musichetta both cut him off with a glare. "What?" he asked innocently, "We're feeding her real meals now, she's bound to fill out!"

...

Enjolras had a fit-full sleep. One nightmare in particular struck him:

_Enjolras and his friends sat at the big oak table at the Cafe Musain. Combeferre sat on his right, Grantaire on his left, and the other students filled in the rest of the seats, save for Marius and Joly. They were all clean, shining, and happy. Enjolras joined them in laughter. Suddenly, a single gun shot rang out. The _Ami_ farthest away from Enjolras fell, as if a trap door had sprung underneath him. Enjolras could hear him screaming in terror. One by one, the chairs fell. Enjolras could see the panic growing in Combeferre's eyes as the shot sounded closer to him. Then, Combeferre's chair fell. Enjolras lunged forward, catching his friend at the last minute. But Combeferre slipped out of his grip, down the black hole._

_Then the table disappeared, leaving Enjolras alone with his chair. Slowly, all his friends voices sounded off: "Where are you, Enjolras?" "Why did you leave us?" "What were you thinking?"_

_On the last one, all his brothers spoke together, "This is all your fault!"_

Enjolras woke with a start, sitting up in his bed. Sweat soaked his forehead and his chest, sticking the hair to his body. He flopped back on the bed, lying awake in somber silence until daybreak.

...

The group of four walked to the counter, where _Madame_ Fauchelevent wrote the items and the prices on a slip of paper. Evelyn saw the woman adding quite a few items to the list: two pairs of stockings, a corset (much to Evelyn's distaste, which she did try protesting, to no avail), a petticoat, a new chemise, two nightgowns, and a buff coat.

Evelyn shot an accusatory look at Joly, saying, "What are you doing? Joly this is ridiculous! I don't need-"

Joly cut her off, "_Mademoiselle,_ how do you think _I _would feel if you were running around Paris in ill-fitting hand-me-downs? We have appearances to keep up." He said the last part jokingly. Joly handed _Madame _Fauchelevent some money, and asked her how soon the garments could be made.

_"_When do you need them by?"

"Today."

The old woman had an incredulous expression on her face. She grumbled something under her breath, saying that the periwinkle dress, chemise, stockings, and nightgowns would be finished by closing time: seven o'clock. It was only noon.

Joly thanked her with a smile and payed a few extra francs.

The three strode out of the tailor shop, and on to the ever-busy Rue de Roi de Scicile. They stopped for lunch at a little cafe. There, Musichetta discussed how her and Joly first met, their first date, their relationship status now, etc. Every once in a while, Evelyn would glance over at Joly, who had a bashful expression on his face.

When their lunch ended, Joly handed Musichetta a little pouch. The way Musichetta held it, she guessed it was a large amount of Francs. Evelyn rolled her eyes at Joly, though he couldn't see it.

Joly parted with a smile, saying, "I'm going to spend some time with Enjolras, you ladies enjoy yourselves! Musichetta, I'm trusting in you to keep Evelyn under control, you know how she's a wild spender!" He disappeared in the carriage.

Musichetta excitedly giggled after Joly left, "We're going to have so much fun!"

Evelyn wanted to believe her, and as stylish as Musichetta was, they just didn't share the same tastes. Evelyn leaned towards the simpler styles, but she attributed that to the fact that she had no other option but to be in simple clothes for the majority of her life. Also, gaudy bourgeoise clothing held some bad memories, but she wouldn't let anyone know that.

Musichetta led her to the shoemaker's first. Evelyn tried to keep the price down as low as possible, choosing the simplest leather slippers she could find. But Musichetta wouldn't have it, instead she chose a pair of black leather ones, intricately detailed with white patterns. Much to Evelyn's relief, they weren't the most expensive shoes there.

Then they headed to the hatters, next. Evelyn and Musichetta got to know each other on this shopping endeavor. Musichetta talked about how she was a dancer at the opera, how she has been with Joly for over a year, everything. She pretty much gave Evelyn her whole life story. Evelyn, however, kept her background to a minimum: "I have two older siblings, one a lot younger, and we lived in a tiny apartment at the slums, my father worked as a black-smith, my mother as the help for another family, and at 16-" Evelyn stopped herself. There were too many questions that could be asked, "I got a kitten for my birthday. I think it was a stray, but I loved it so much anyways." Musichetta didn't even question the poor excuse for a lie.

They both tried on different hats, trying to out-do each other with who had the most ridiculous. Musichetta was decided the winner when she adorned a foot-high monstrosity, piled with feathers and ribbons. They almost broke down into a laughing fit. A wide grin split on Evelyn's face.

"So tell me about Enjolras," Musichetta said, interrupting Evelyn's mirth.

"What about him?" Evelyn tried to keep as nonchalant as possible. Joly had probably told her some of the events at the barricade, probably trying to spice it up with a little Evelyn and Enjolras romance. Evelyn promised to have a strongly-worded conversation about it to Joly when she got home... _home_. Evelyn referred to it as home in her mind. She only knew these people for a few days, but she could already feel that the would be close. Joly showed absolutely no sign of kicking Evelyn out anyways, and Evelyn was determined to sleep in that cloud known as a bed for as long as she could. She would, however, find a job as soon as possible to support herself.

"_Patria?_" Musichetta said in an imitation-Enjolras voice. Evelyn blushed and giggled a little bit, "You're lucky to have him you know. I don't think he's loved anybody before you, besides himself, of course."

Evelyn's heart raced at "love" even though she knew it wasn't true. She defended him, "Enjolras is many things, but narcissistic isn't one of them. And he doesn't like me anyways"

"See there you go! Leaping to his defense! And he does like you. Who wouldn't want you as the lady on their arm?"

Evelyn could think of a lot of people. She rolled her eyes as Musichetta provided "evidence" that they were in love. She was happy where she was for the time being; surrounded by good friends. "I am not!" Evelyn retorted.

"Are to! See, because I'm right, I get to buy you this hat now!" Musichetta waved her hands around the beast on her head. They both broke down into another laughing fit.

...

Joly returned to his town home and opened Enjolras's door without warning. Enjolras apathetically gazed at him, eyes an empty gray.

Joly strode over to the bed and embraced his friend, squeezing his eyes tight. A few tears streamed down Joly's face.

They let go after a moment, and Joly saw Enjolras's marble face, tears slipping into the cracks. A small part of Joly felt glad that Enjolras was so low, he felt like he was to blame for his friends's deaths. But his benevolent disposition insisted, rightfully so, that Enjolras was no more to blame than himself. He lead it, but _les Amis_ followed it.

...

Musichetta and Evelyn met Joly at Fauchelevent's at 7. Evelyn awkwardly balanced a large hat box (containing a bonnet and not the monstrosity that Musichetta tried to purchase), a shoe box, and smaller box, which held an ivory hair comb.

Joly gestured to their carriage, parked outside of the shop. Evelyn dumped her boxes in it.

Joly and Musichetta brought out the newly-sewn garments and stuffed them into the carriage. The three of them rode back bolstered by fabric.


	12. Cracks

_Chapter 12  
~Cracks~_

Musichetta helped Evelyn hoist the new purchases up to her room. Evelyn unboxed her new wicker bonnet, placing the fake-flowered and ribboned head piece on her vanity.

"I had a great time today!" Musichetta trilled, removing Joly's sister's clothes from the armoire.

"I did too!" Evelyn agreed, smiling. It was good to have another girl to talk to. Evelyn also looked up to her in a way. Musichetta was refined, easily fitting in with the upper class. She could use to take up some of the manners.

Evelyn folded her nightgown, putting it into the lowest drawer of the dresser.

Musichetta glanced at her watch, "Oh my, look at the time! I have rehearsal in the morning," She turned to Evelyn, clasping her hands together, "Please come to the show! I can get you tickets! It's next month."

"I would love to!" They embraced, and Musichetta whirled out the door.

Evelyn plopped down on her bed and reached for the smallest box. She pulled out the ivory hair comb and ran her fingers over the intricate carvings. Joly called her from downstairs.

...

Thoughts swirled in Enjolras's mind, refusing to be coherent. Apathy was replaced with rage and frustration.

...

Joly was waiting for Evelyn in the parlor. Warm pastries were on a tray, resting on the coffee table. Evelyn chose a flaky circle with red jam in the center. Evelyn gave Joly a warm smile. "_Monsieur _I cannot thank you enough," said when she had finished her pastry.

"Please, think nothing of it, _mademoiselle_," Joly replied, then excused himself.

A few moments later, Evelyn saw Enjolras standing in the door frame, an uncharacteristically dark expression on his face. Nevertheless, Evelyn lit up when she saw him finally out of bed.

Enjolras strode out towards her and stopped about a foot away.

"Why?" he yelled. His gray eyes smoldered, narrow with rage. Evelyn was stunned.

Enjolras yelled again, "Why? Why did you save me?" Evelyn tried to defend herself, but the words wouldn't come out.

His voice escalated to screaming, "I was supposed to _die_!" Evelyn could see a crack run down his marble face. Tears started to well in Evelyn's eyes. _Stop that_, she willed them.

Pent-up pain flowed out with his words, "I'm supposed to be with my friends! _You took that away from me!_" His voiced cracked on "away"

The marble man had shattered. He gasped for air, his expression like a cornered animal. Evelyn just stood there, mouth agape, eyes watering. She felt defensive and mildly afraid, but more importantly, she felt sadness. Here he was, blaming himself for the deaths of his friends. For the death of Combeferre and Courfeyrac. For the death of Jehan and Grantaire. For the death of Gavroche.

Evelyn tried to rationalize that he wasn't in the right frame of mind. But his emotion was so raw, she found it hard to focus on anything besides being yelled at. She tried to decide between yelling back at him or giving him a hug.

Enjolras felt _shame_. He watched as her usually defiant attitude melted. She was taking to heart everything he was saying. Which is what he intended, but he assumed she would be able to handle this, out of impulse. He didn't mean for it to cut this deep.

Evelyn swallowed her pride and gently brought her hand to his cheek, cradling his face, looking straight into his eyes with a sympathetic gaze.

Enjolras was confused. Why, after all this, was she still showing kindness? He was expecting a solid punch to the jaw. _There she goes again, defying expectations_.

Evelyn wiped the tear that rolled down his cheek with her thumb.

He fell into her, wrapping his arms around her waist, burying his sobs into her.

Evelyn kept her head on his chest, feeling it bounce it around as his chest moved up and down as he drew in ragged breaths.

Joly walked past the door to inspect the commotion, but as he walked past them in an embrace, he decided to play match-maker and let them have their little moment.

...

Evelyn held Enjolras until his sobs faded to the occasional uneven breath. She stepped back, running her hands down his arms. His face spoke of confusion and he held his gaze to the floor. His face wasn't twisted anymore, and Evelyn could swear his eyes had tuned to a pale shade of blue. She gave his hands a reassuring squeeze, then kissed him on the cheek. Enjolras's eyes widened and felt his heart beat a little faster, just a little.

Evelyn walked out the parlor and up to her room, leaving Enjolras staring at the floor with his hands on his hips.

He ran a hand through his golden curls, settling on the couch.

...

Evelyn changed into her new nightgown, which was tailored perfectly to her. She undid her hair from the topknot, letting it fall in waves down her back.

Today was exhausting, but even in her cloud-of-a-bed she couldn't sleep. She felt a little guilty, as if Enjolras was right.

She rolled over to her other side, letting out a heavy sigh. She was glad she comforted him, but she tried to justify the things he said in her mind. _He was just upset. He just needed to let out his feelings, and I just happened to be the outlet for it. He had a mental breakdown. That's expected. Most of his friends just died. Christ, that's horrible. _Evelyn felt a wave of despair wash over her. _Push it down. Push it down. Feelings don't help anything. You need to focus on helping Enjolras get better. Joly has Musichetta. Enjolras has nobody. I have nobody. _


	13. Talk

_Chapter 13  
~Talk~_

A spread of pastries, fruit, and coffee were set on the table the next morning. Evelyn chose a croissant and a pear, careful to not get any crumbs on her periwinkle dress. She chose to break the silence hanging between the three of them.

"So, what are the plans for today?" She said, cheerily.

Joly responded, "Well _I'm_ going to see Musichetta, we have a date at the _Cafe du Jardin_."

"Oh that's nice." Evelyn replied.

Enjolras stayed silent, sipping his black coffee, eyes on the floor.

"So we can just do whatever?" Evelyn proposed.

"No," Joly's face fell, "There's most likely a warrant out for Enjolras, so he can't go anywhere." _Of course_, thought Evelyn, _how did I not think of that_? She felt so bad for Enjolras, trapped in the house like this.

Enjolras continued staring and sipping coffee, he already knew.

"Well, I need to get a job, so I think I'll try for one this afternoon," Evelyn added

"Good for you," Joly added. He stuffed a pastry in his mouth, rising from the chair. "Well, I'm off to Musichetta's. See you two later!" he said and walked out the front door.

"Well, you're awfully quiet, _Monsieur_ Julien," Evelyn said, a lopsided smile forming on his name.

"I hope you realize nobody calls me that," Enjolras asserted, sipping his coffee.

Evelyn just smiled mischievously. He already looked a bit healthier, the cracks in the marble starting to mend.

Enjolras looked up and met her eyes. His had softened to a baby blue. "Thank you," he said, mumbling. Evelyn offered a gentle smile.

...

Enjolras spent his morning at his desk, trying to write. His pen scrawled on the page, ink blots dotting the desk surface. His left hand was embedded in his curls, elbow resting on the desk.

He had sent in many an essay anonymously to newspapers, defending and promoting the revolution. Now, he was at it again, but the words just didn't come out like they used to.

He heard a knock on his door, but it opened before he said anything. It was Evelyn. She poked her head through the doorway, the fabric of the inside of the bonnet framing her face. "I'm off to the city, need anything?" she asked.

Enjolras was mildly annoyed that she was disturbing him, but she was also a bit of fresh air.

"No," he replied.

She whisked out and down the stairs. Evelyn climbed into the black carriage to begin her job search.

...

She passed a newsboy on the corner waving newspapers, with the headline reading "REBELS WANTED" and Enjolras's name in bold a few times. Reality hit her. The past few days had all been a wild blur, and now they must face the repercussions. She ignored said newsboy, pretending to be uninterested.

Evelyn first stopped at a book store on Rue le Roi de Sicilie, not to far from Fauchelevent's. Floor-to-ceiling shelving held thousands of books. She breathed in the smell of paper and cloth bindings. She stopped at the clerk's counter.

_"Bonjour, Monsiuer!_" She chirped, putting on her best smile.

"_Bonjour, Mademoiselle, _What can I do for you today?" the older clerk replied.

"I am looking for a job, are there any openings here?"

The old clerk kept smiling, though it shifted from welcome to amusement. Evelyn gritted her teeth, trying to keep from defending herself. "I have read many books, _Monsieur_. Reading is my true passion. I could help recommend... _ladies's _literature." _All literature is everybody's literature_. But she played the sexist game in order to give herself an edge.

The clerk nodded with a neutral expression, "I will talk to the owner. Let me see what I can do." He disappeared in the back, behind the rows of book shelves.

Evelyn waited at the counter, tapping her fingernails on the wooden counter, eyes scanning the store. _I have to get a job here. I don't know how to sew. Maybe I could cook?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the clerk coming back with a middle-aged man, who Evelyn assumed was the owner.

_"Bonjour, mademoiselle, _we would love to have you in our company." Evelyn shook his hand, beaming. "Come in tomorrow at nine. You will work every day, except Sundays, is that all right?" Evelyn shook her head yes. "Great! You will earn ten _sous_ per day, so I will see you tomorrow?" Evelyn's smile twitched. _Only ten sous_... _it's better than nothing, I guess_.

"Yes, tomorrow," she said, trying to contain her mixed excitement that she had found a job, and disappointment from the low wages. She was hoping to earn enough to at least pay her keep at Joly's.

She stopped by Fauchelevent's and picked up the rest of her garments.

...

Evelyn dumped her clothing on her bed and headed to Enjolras's room. His door was already open a crack.

Evelyn nudged it open, the hinges creaking. Enjolras jumped in his seat, almost knocking over the inkwell. She strode over to the wingback chair in the corner across from the desk and sat down in it.

"That was fast," Enjolras commented, not looking up from the page he was writing on. Crumpled balls of paper littered his desk and the area around it.

"I did get a job," Evelyn retorted, even though there wasn't really anything to defend.

"Where?" Enjolras asked, though he seemed genuinely curious. His face wore hours of frustration.

"The book store. I start tomorrow. It's all day." Evelyn supplied.

"Good for you, Evelyn," Enjolras trailed, returning back to his paper. Once again, curiosity took over courtesy and she stood next to Enjolras, peering over his shoulder at the page.

She bent over, putting her elbows on the table, so that her head was level with Enjolras's. Enjolras noticed that her face was inches away, and he felt the tip of his ears get a little hot.

"What are you doing?" Enjolras asked.

"Reading." Evelyn's eyes narrowed at all the political jargon. "What is this?"

"A letter."

"I see that," Evelyn rolled her eyes, "Who are you sending it to?"

"Newspapers."

"Explain it to me."

Enjolras sighed, "I write the letter, put it in an en-"

"No, I mean what's it about? I can hardly understand what you're trying to say."

"Oh." Enjolras ran a hand through his hair, trying to cover up his mistake. _Well, I don't have anything better to do, _he thought to himself.

...

"So we have a king, And we don't like him because he makes the decisions for us," Evelyn proposed. She sat in the wingback chair as Enjolras stood, pacing.

"Right."

"And we want to make the decisions for ourselves?"

"Yes."

"So is the king really a bad guy, or do you just not like his policies?"

"I respect him. It's just the idea of a king that we don't like."

"I see. What are his policies?"

"He favors the upper class."

"Aren't you the upper class? And you just said you respected him."

Enjolras scowled at being called upper class. "I am. And he favors the upper class because if he didn't, he wouldn't have their power. That's why we're fighting. We believe that every citizen of France is equal, no matter their social status." Evelyn saw a little spark of blue in his eyes as his voice drew power from passion.

...

Joly had joined Evelyn and Enjolras for dinner. Evelyn tried extra hard to mind her manners: cutting up her food into tiny bites, sitting up straight, no elbows on the table. She missed her and Eponine's casual dinners. _Eponine. _Evelyn blinked a few times, clearing her mind.

"How is Musichetta?" Evelyn asked. stabbing a piece of asparagus onto her fork.

"Fine. She says hello," Joly said, "And she wanted me to tell you that she definitely has tickets for the show, if you want to go."

Evelyn grinned, "Of course! Oh! I got a job at the book store. I start tomorrow morning and get back at five. So I'm afraid I wont be seeing much of you two during the day."

"Well that's wonderful!" Joly replied.

"And I spent the rest of the day," she gestured to Enjolras with her thumb and a sideways smile, "with _Julien_ over here." Enjolras was thinking of various phrases to put in his letters when he was disturbed. He glared at her, chewing. Joly let out a stifled giggle.

One of the maids brought out the dessert tray. The gold-rimmed plate in the center held little brown balls. Evelyn wondered what they were. She had a piece of chocolate once, maybe it was chocolate? She hesitantly popped one in her mouth, after seeing the boys do so and not spitting it out in repulsion.

The truffle was beautiful. The chocolate was rich and creamy and melted in her mouth. She was convinced she had eaten heaven. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Enjolras and Joly looked at her odd, Enjolras with one eyebrow up. "_This is so good,"_ she managed to slur out, mouth almost stuck together with chocolate. She picked up a few more and put them onto her plate, "This is chocolate right?"

"You've never had chocolate before?" Joly asked.

"No, not chocolate like this!" Evelyn said, as she hastily popped another in her mouth.

"On another note..." Joly continued, hesitantly, "I will be returning to my studies at the Sorbonne."

The room fell silent. Joly continued, trying to explain himself, "If I don't return soon they'll cancel the credits and I'll fail the course. I need to take advantage of the fact that they don't know I was at the barricade. This is the last one I have to take before I get my degree." He looked up with pleading eyes, trying to justify himself, "I need to finish this. It's only for a few more months. And if they ask where I was I can just say... there was a death in the family..." Joly suddenly quieted himself, looking down at his plate. Enjolras bored holes into the side of Joly's head with his glare. He felt offended that Joly would return to the Sorbonne so suddenly after their friends died. Combeferre had even shared some classes with him.

Evelyn's eyes shifted from Joly to Enjolras and back. The tension in the room was tangible. Evelyn broke the silence, "So Enjolras will be home alone the majority of the day."

Joly answered her, "No, only for a few hours,"

Evelyn then turned to Enjolras, "See? It's only for a few hours. He'll be back-"

"That's not why I-" Enjolras sighed, wiping his hand down his face. He realized it was ridiculous to deny his friend his dream career. _Les Amis_ would've wanted him to finish it anyways. "Nevermind." He grabbed a truffle and rose out of his chair, the legs scraping against the floor. Evelyn watched in silence as he bounded up the staircase.

She made eye contact with Joly, who's forlorn posture signified he hadn't taken this situation lightly either. She warmed her hands on her cup of tea, breathing in the steam. "Joly?" she spoke gently, "I think it's great that you're going back." She smiled warmly, "Let me go talk to him."

Joly smiled sadly, "Thank you, _mademoiselle._"

Evelyn stood up from the table, picking up the last truffle. Picking up her skirts, she stepped up to Enjolras's room.

...

Enjolras heard her slippered feet tapping closer towards his door. _Does she not understand the simple concept of privacy? _

"Are you going to learn how to knock, _mademoiselle_?" he projected loud enough so that he could she could hear him through the door. He sat on the wingback chair reading _The Art of Rhetoric_ by Aristotle, familiar concentration clouding his face.

Evelyn nudged open the door and stood just over the threshold, leaning her head against the frame. She gave him an expectant look.

Enjolras, completely inept when it came to social cues, looked at up her, confused, "Is this about Joly?"

Evenlyn flipped her head so her forehead rested against the frame. She laughed dryly. Evelyn peered at Enjolras out of the corner of her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips.

_When Joly said he didn't know anything about women, he wasn't kidding, _she thought.

Enjolras watched as Evelyn mocked him. Usually he would find this annoying to no end, but with Evelyn's sarcastic disposition, it was almost _endearing_.

_What has she done to me? _Enjolras reflected on his current state of mind with brows knitted, absently scanning the pages of his book.

Evelyn curtseyed, speaking with a sugary tone, "_Bonsoir_, O Clueless One." She turned on her heel, hands clasped behind her back, and sashayed past his door and into her own room. Enjolras was reluctant to admit to himself that he found this amusing.

He flipped another page, but didn't read any words. Instead, thoughts of Evelyn danced in his head.

...

Evelyn unraveled the braid that her hair had been in all day. Shaking her hair out, she stretched her back. Her shoulder and thigh still burned, but Evelyn's wounds were healing quickly. Evelyn thought momentarily of the scars that would remain. _Well, I'm wearing skirts all the time. The only problem would be the shoulder one, which would show if I was wearing a dress with a low neckline... _

She slid under the covers of her bed and cocooned herself in the multitudes of pillows and blankets, burying her face into the down.


	14. Pardon

_Chapter 14  
~Pardon~_

Inspector Gerard strode into the palace. He straightened his jacket and straightened his posture even further. He was about to see the king. The King Of France.

Two guards flanked each side. They had taken away his saber before he had even entered the palace. His boots clicked against the marble floors. Sweat beaded on his skin as he prepared what he was going to say to his highness.

_Your Highness, I propose, if you see it fit, that every last man suspected to be in the rebellion be executed._

_Your Highness, this Enjolras fellow has tried to tarnish your establishment. Death to him, I say!_

Javert had been missing since the first night of the rebellion, and Gerard filled his place. He was ill suited to speak to the king about an issue such as this, but he wouldn't let anybody else know. Though he suspected it was no secret he couldn't fill Javert's shoes in any way.

The guards and Gerard turned right onto a corridor filled with portraits of former monarchs. Gerard wished he had time to appreciate them, but he was on a was stopped at some ornately decorated double-doors. Gold leaf curved over every surface.

The guards pushed open a door each, revealing an equally decorated, grand study desk. Behind the desk sat King Louis Philippe I. Gerard was awestruck. The King's face turned up to Gerard and the guards.

"Ah, Inspector Gerard, I presume," the king cooed.

Gerard fumbled to speak, his eyes wide as saucers, "Yes, your highness." He took an unstable bow.

"Please," said the king, gesturing an open palm to the red upholstered chair in front of the desk.

Gerard almost stumbled to the chair. He almost sank in the plush cushion, but he brought his posture to attention. His eyes fell on the newspaper on the desk reading: _REBELS WANTED_. Yes, this is what he came to talk about. He cleared his throat.

"Your highness, I-"

"Want the rebels captured, I know," interrupted his highness. He must've read the horrified look on Gerard's face, "look, capturing these men will rouse the crowd more." He shifted the newspaper over the desk to the meek inspector. "As I understand it, only three men survive. And one of those, this Enjolras fellow, is their leader. Honestly, I have a great deal of respect from here. From what I gather, he is a proficient young student at the Sorbonne studying to be a lawyer and inherit his father's firm. He rallied the people for, as much as I don't agree with it, a noble cause. I do not suspect he will rebel again after these events, but in the case he does, we will jail him. But for now, I am issuing a pardon."

Gerard was just more confused. He wanted justice, however he was not willing to argue with _the king_ for it. Instead he bowed, said "yes, your highness," and the guards escorted him out.

...

Evelyn woke before either Joly or Enjolras was up. So she opened the door to the kitchen, surprising the chef. "_Bonjour, monsieur!_" she called, swiping an apple from the fruit tray and rushing out the door.

She arrived to her job on time and worked easy hours. Apparently business was slow on Fridays. So, she nestled herself on the floor in between two bookshelves "reviewing" books. Evelyn was practically being paid to read. She returned home at six.

...

Enjolras abandoned his endeavors at the writing desk to embark on another at the wingback chair. Joly had left a few hours ago to re-register at the Sorbonne, leaving him to his own devices.

_The Art of Rhetoric _was sadly unused. The spine cracked as Enjolras opened it and the pages still smelled fresh. He couldn't help but think of Evelyn at the bookstore.

What he would do to be free like her. He was wanted dead or alive and that severely limited what he could do during the day. Honestly, he probably would have stayed inside writing anyways, but he hated the idea of not controlling his own actions.

The more Enjolras thought about Evelyn, the more he didn't want to think about her. Love wasn't his emotion of choice. He was the _marble _lover of _liberty_. Not the diamond lover of engagements. She was a distraction to his usually one-track mind.

Enjolras refocused on the text, but he was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening then closing. _Speak of the devil_. Footsteps tapped up the stairs then down the hallway.

He stilled in his chair, trying to make himself invisible. _I swear if she comes in here one more time..._

Evelyn hesitated at the landing of the stairs. She had two options: go to her room and sit in solitary silence or try and converse with the marble man again. She chose the latter.

Evelyn untied her bonnet and placed it on the vanity, shaking her hair out from the loose braid that flopped over her shoulder. _How hard is it to have a friendly conversation with someone? Why can't he focus on anything besides the revolution, which is pretty much a failed cause anyways. _She winced at her own reminder.

The front door opened and Joly shouted a jubilant "hello!" up the stairs. Evelyn poked her head over the stairway banister and smiled back at him. _Somebody I can talk to_.

Enjolras followed Evelyn down the stairs and into the parlor. Evelyn clasped her hands, "How did it go?"

"Good!" Joly said, "I only have one course, so I think I'm just going to stay in this house. The flat has too many... memories."

Evelyn nodded in agreement. Enjolras averted his gaze to the floor. Speaking of apartments, both Evelyn and Enjolras remembered they left all their belongings in theirs.

The dinner bell rang, dropping the words that hung in the air.

...

Evelyn retired to her room after dinner. Dinner consisted mostly of awkward small talk and coming up with ideas for Enjolras not to go insane at the house. Joly mentioned he had plans to empty out his apartment the next morning, proposing that he ride in the carriage with Evelyn to work. She agreed, appreciating the company.

Changing into her nightgown, she came across Enjolras's scarlet coat in the bottom drawer. The cockade was still attached to it. Bullet holes and bloodstains further decorated it. She didn't know why she kept it, but it just didn't feel right to throw it away. _The Republic _peeked out from under it, both providing violent memories of times not too long ago. She shut the drawer, almost slamming it.

...

Evelyn attended to her skirt, flattening and rearranging the rose linen. Joly sat opposite to her and neither of them felt particularly chatty. The carriage rocked back and forth on the cobblestone.

"So _mademoiselle_, enjoying bonding with Enjolras?" Joly asked, half-jokingly.

Evelyn rolled her eyes at the proposition, but she took the opportunity to clarify, "So he's never loved before?" Evelyn meant that to work on a few levels.

"No," Joly scoffed, "Though I don't know... you seem to be working your way in there."

Evelyn glared flatly, "Doesn't seem like it to me." Her motive changed, "the man can't even hold a conversation without looking like he ate something rotten."

"He's just like that. Always serious." Joly hesistated, "Though we had some good times with the boys. He can laugh, I just don't think his mindset allowed for that when you met him."

Evelyn almost laughed at the idea of Enjolras actually enjoying himself. However she could relate to him on the relationship front. Her experience went as far as having the misfortune of kissing a street urchin at thirteen.

...

The carriage dropped Evelyn off first, leaving Joly to his thoughts. _Evelyn is good for him. She's good for all of us. Although her humor and innocence can be annoying, it's for the best. The poor man needs to lighten up. He needs somebody too. And I have a feeling he already knows we're supporting their budding romance._ He laughed to himself. _If either of them doesn't scare each other off._

...

Work at the bookshop was nonstop. A few customers went through the routine of "why is a woman here?" Evelyn tried her hardest to limit it to glaring. Thankfully, neither the owner nor the other employees seemed to take notice of her customer service. And most customers were genuine.

On the way to the candy shop on the corner (she was hoping to amass a collection of various chocolates, particularly truffles), she passed the newsboys again, this time waving news papers with a very different headline: _REVOLUTIONARIES PARDONED. _She ripped the newspaper out of the young one's hand while walking past, leaving the boy sounding cry of protest.

She scanned the article, trying not to bump into any other people as her head was down.

_"King grants pardons to the revolutionaries involved. All will safe from detainment by the government. Their leader, Julien Enjolras, only son of proficient lawyer Adrien Astor Enjolras, is respected by the King and is seen as a one-time offender. However, should he be behind another outburst, he will be tried."_

...

Evelyn hastily tucked the newspaper into the inside pocket of her coat, beaming as she walked into the candy shop. _This is great! Enjolras is free! Well, free as long as they don't catch him writing._

She picked out a multitude of candies, splurging as this was a time to celebrate.

...

Evelyn could barely contain her excitement. She almost threw open the front door.

"Julien!" she shouted, taking her bonnet and cloak off, grabbing the newspaper. No sounds of movements came from upstairs, only a strong, "AHEM" from Enjolras's room.

Evelyn obliged with an eye roll and a faint smile, "Enjolras!" Footsteps emanated from the hallway and Enjolras appeared from his cave. "Look!" she exclaimed, holding the newspaper triumphantly.

Enjolras met her and grabbed the news from her hand, his eyes widening and a smile growing. He laughed in disbelief. He couldn't believe it. _Free_.

_It's good to see him smile like that, _Evelyn thought. Joly ran down the stairs and snatched the paper from Enjolras and read it. Enjolras looked at Evelyn and ran both his hands through his hair, grinning like a fool. Joly let out a cry of elation.

"Jacqueline! Pull out our best wine! We have celebrating to do!" Joly called out towards the kitchen.

The three of them sat in the parlor, chatting about the good news. "Well now that you're no longer a man on the run, Julien," she stretched out his name, "How about we go to Saint-Michel tomorrow? I have to fetch my things at my apartment and I have no idea of where you live, but I assume it's somewhere near the Sorbonne, but you can get yours as well, Joly- feel free to join us."

"I would love to _mademoiselle_, but I have an outing with Musichetta tomorrow," Joly responded. He did want to see Musichetta, but part of it was trying to foster their budding courtship.

"Then just the two of us it is!" Evelyn stated, pushing on Enjolras's knee. He reflexively shied away from her touch, but he didn't take offense.

...

The three of them sat at the table until late. Evelyn was sipping her second glass of wine and the candy bag was almost empty. The alcohol and sugar mix gave her an odd-sugar buzz, which made the room almost spin. Not having access to these things before meant she didn't know her limit, and she had hit her limit a while ago. She chastised herself for not being more vigilant.

Enjolras sat at the head of the table, glass missing and gradually amassing a pile of butterscotch wrappers. Drinking wasn't his game, but these butterscotch candies were glorious. As the night progressed, he felt less and less acceptant of the pardon. Taking it would mean he would have to be grateful to the king, which was obviously not ideal. He temporarily justified it, saying that he wouldn't be able to write letters from jail, therefore the cause would die entirely.

Joly, at his right, slid down in the chair, toying with a toffee wrapper. His cravat and vest were open, hair rumpled. Evelyn was tipsy and switching between making incoherent comments and making various poses in her chair. It was amusing enough to cause a small smile to form on his lips.

"Well, I'm going to bed now..." Evelyn said a little too loudly. She rose from the chair and immediately the room started spinning. She gripped onto the back of the chair for support and closed her eyes.

Joly looked at Enjolras as if to say "you take care of it." Enjolras sighed. He came up behind Evelyn and grabbed her hand and put the other on her waist. She took a few steps, then stumbled downwards. Enjolras caught her, but soon realized getting her up the stairs like this would be impossible. He rolled his eyes.

Evelyn felt herself move upward. Enjolras had scooped her up. She wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his warmth. Enjolras gritted his teeth from the pain in his shoulder and arm, but it was a short distance. "You're awful strong, Julien," Evelyn giggled. Enjolras was tempted to drop her. She started kicking her feet back and forth.

"Stop that," he said.

"What are you gonna do about it?" _Defiant_.

"I will throw you over the banister," Enjolras threatened, only half joking. He deposited her on her bed and promptly left. She would have to undress herself.

"Goodnight!" he heard her call from her room. He said "goodnight" moments later.


	15. Break

_Chapter 15  
~Break~_

Evelyn woke up with a pounding headache. By some miracle she had gotten herself out of her day clothes and the corset but kept the chemise and bloomers on. She recounted last nights events with great embarrassment.

"_You're awful strong Julien_." _God, I am such an idiot_. She almost didn't want to spend the day with him.

She left her hair down and dressed in her simplest dress.

Evelyn was surprised to see Enjolras already in the parlor, though his normally golden complexion was dimmed, probably from another sleepless night. Evelyn automatically raised her posture. What time was it? She looked over at the clock: 11 sharp. _How on Earth did I sleep in so late_?

"Is Joly gone already?" Evelyn inquired as she picked a croissant from the breakfast tray.

"Yes," answered Enjolras. He sat, as usual, sipping black coffee. Evelyn wondered how he could drink coffee straight. She always had to put more cream and sugar than coffee.

Enjolras watched as Evelyn came down the stairs, the sash nipping in her waist perfectly, her hair cascading down- _stop, stop, stop_, he willed himself. _The things she does to me_.

"Well. Why don't we go then?" Evelyn proposed.

...

Enjolras stepped onto the cobble first, outstretching his hand for Evelyn to take. Evelyn hesitated for a little bit, but she was getting used to the customs of the upper class.

Enjolras fit her elbow in the crook of his arm and they walked together, their footsteps in time. They were dropped off next to the Sorbonne, and Evelyn admired the architecture of the building Her eyes swept over the landscape: bridges crossing the Seine in the distance, leaves fanning from their branches, iron fences with the _fleur de lis _on top, "So," Evelyn smiled, "who's place do we go first?"

"Whichever one you prefer, _mademoiselle. _However, I do believe that mine is closer." Enjorlas stated factually.

"Then yours it is."

...

Enjolras stepped in front of his apartment. It was on the third floor and had no view whatsoever, but as a student, it didn't really matter. He fished through his pockets before remembering that he didn't have his keys.

Evelyn noticed this and past him to the door. She plucked a pin from her hair and jostled it in the lock, eventually opening it. She gave Enjolras a smile despite his obvious "I know where you learned that" expression.

The apartment was scantily furnished. Piles of papers and books occupied the desk top and the floor on the right side of the basic, iron bed. Enjolras fetched his _portmanteau_ and started meticulously folding clothes into it.

"Do you want me to help with something?" Evelyn asked.

Enjolras hesitated at the thought of someone going through all his papers, but he decided he trusted her and complied.

...

Enjolras managed to fit everything into two _portmanteaus_, one for books and papers and one for clothes.

They strode down the streets, making the occasional turn. Enjolras held both _portmanteaus_ despite Evelyn's offer.

Evelyn wished she could link arms with him again. She definitely was attracted to him, though not quite love yet. More like interest. Her conversation with Joly gave her a little hope that he felt the same way.

One could see the progression from the student neighborhoods to the slum. Enjolras tried to give a few _sous_ to every beggar, Evelyn directing as to which ones were authentic. She watched with quiet admiration as he didn't hesitate for a moment.

Evelyn and Enjolras neared the Elephant of Bastille, crumbling plaster exposing the wooden struts. They both tried to ignore the memories that flood their minds by conducting small talk.

A peasant woman by the monument stole Evelyn's attention. Evelyn ran to the beggar in an instant, holding Enjolras's elbow and dragging him along, much to his confusion. The woman looked like a more haggard version of Evelyn and equally as surprised as Enjolras when Evelyn embraced her.

Evelyn tightly held her sister, forgetting her past. She hadn't seen her in over a year. Evelyn stepped back, holding onto the woman's shoulders, a smile lighting up her dark eyes.

"Margot!" Evelyn almost screamed. The woman realized who Evelyn was and squealed with joy. "Where's Rene and Caroline?" Evelyn erratically looked around the square, trying to find her other siblings.

"Who's _that_?" Margot purred, speaking of the rather attractive man standing behind her sister.

"I'm her friend." Enjolras stated, placing the luggage on the street and running his hand through his golden curls as he looked to nowhere. Margot couldn't help but notice the happy couple's _bourgeoise _ outfits and demeanor and wonder how her sister landed herself in this position. Evelyn's heart sunk a tad when Enjolras said "friend", but at least they weren't strangers anymore.

"The kids are at the flat. So is Papa. We just moved here a few days ago," Margot supplied, keeping her eyes glued to the god standing in front of her.

Evelyn hesitated. She felt no desire whatsoever to meet her parents, but she was dying to see her younger siblings again.

"Where have you been? We've been worried sick about you! We thought you had died!" Margot feigned concern. Truthfully, other than Rene and a little bit Caroline, nobody really missed her. Margot held too much resentment for what Evelyn's disappearance caused to fully accept her.

"I've been here!" Evelyn decided to keep the most recent events a secret, "I recently moved, however."

Margot's eyes widened in disbelief, "Is this your husband?"

Evelyn needed to cover up the lie and fast. _We don't have rings, yet we live together. _"I'm his intended!" she said a little too excitedly. Enjolras tried to look like he hadn't been hit by a train. His mind drifted to what-if's. It gave him an unwelcome warm feeling.

"_Mon Dieu!_" Margot exclaimed, bringing her hand to her heart, "Papa must meet him immediately,"

Evelyn had two options: reveal her past to Enjolras or spend the day with the spawn of satan. She covered.

"Oh, I'm afraid we can't, _cher _and I," Evelyn wrapped her arms around his waist and wormed her way under his arm, "have some wedding business to attend to."

Enjolras's stiffness a dead giveaway of his horror and Evelyn prayed he would go along with it.

"Yes, wedding business," Enjolras said through gritted teeth.

_They don't look very happy,_ Margot thought.

"Why don't we, you, me, and the kids that is, meet by the Elephant at noon next Sunday?" Evelyn proposed, almost pleading.

"As long as you bring the gentleman with ya," Margot unsteadily curtsied. Enjolras just wanted to hand her a few sous, but the way Evelyn was reacting to the situation made Enjolras think twice. The beggar woman sauntered off from the couple.

Evelyn slipped her arm into Enjolras's elbow and picked up one of the _portmanteaus_.

Enjolras could sense her attention slipping into analyzing the most recent events. Her eyebrows drew closer and her walking pace quickened.

"Are you well, _mademoiselle_?" Enjolras inquired, genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine," she insisted a little too quickly, "I haven't seen my family in a while... I'll explain it later."

Enjolras complied. He could tell this wasn't a topic she wanted to discuss.

...

They arrived at Evelyn's former residence after a few minutes of silent speed-walking. She didn't have a key either, so she violently jimmied the lock with her hair pin. Evelyn was about three seconds away from kicking the door open when the lock finally sprung.

The door swung open and un-dealt-with emotion rushed at her. The two hesitated, but eventually stepped inside.

All of Eponine's belongings were exactly where she left them. Her dress was crumpled in a heap by a chair in the corner, her blanket left unfolded on the floor.

Evelyn brought her hand to her mouth trying to stifle the scream that threatened to burst out. Enjolras saw her start to shake from all the grief that was bubbling to the surface. He suddenly realized he had been so wrapped up in his own feelings that he hadn't even remembered Eponine.

"Evelyn?" he said gently.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, bringing the heels of her palms to her eyes, trying to choke back the tears. "I'm fine," she whispered again, more to herself. She turned to Enjolras, tears pooling at the rims of her eyes. "I just could've done something, you know? I knew she was going to the barricade to be with Marius. I _knew_." Her breathing disintegrated into ragged breaths as she struggled to keep her composure, "And I didn't try and stop her... I could've stopped her..."

Enjolras watched as she crumbled face in her hands, trying to hide the fact that she was human and had feelings. He awkwardly shifted his weight from side to side, half expecting her to stop and say "I'm just kidding, Julien! Surprise!"

She didn't. She just stood there, sobbing. _Man up, Enjolras. She was there for you when you broke down. Look at her, she has nobody now. _

Enjolras strode over and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. Evelyn stopped crying momentarily, surprised that Enjolras was capable of comforting another. She looked up at him, her face shiny with tears. Enjolras looked down at her with compassionate, blue eyes and gently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

Evelyn fell on his chest, grabbing the fabric at his waist as she cried. She breathed him in with every inhale.


	16. Two

_Part 2_

_Paris_

_Chapter 16  
~Two~_

Enjolras held her for a while. Evelyn felt his chest vibrate as he spoke words of comfort to her, gently toying with the ends of her hair.

Eventually, her breathing evened out and Enjolras almost didn't want to let her go.

She pulled back, but Enjolras caught her hands. He was shocked at his own impulsive actions. _You're getting distracted, Enjolras. You don't know what you're doing. Stop it, _a voice nagged at the back of his mind.

She gave a weak smile and laced her fingers in between his."We should start packing," Evelyn said in a whisper.

"Are you sure? We can come another time,"

"No," She took a deep breath, "I want to get it over with." She stepped towards a thin mattress in the corner surrounded by books. Enjolras assumed this was hers. As Evelyn gathered some books, Enjolras looked around the place.

The paint was peeling off in huge chunks, and the chair was the only furniture item. A single, thread-bare blanket covered each soft palette. Enjolras made a face at the realization that Evelyn had to live like this.

"I don't think I can take all of them..." Evelyn said, weakly laughing at her original thought of taking them all. She started sorting through the pile, choosing one out of every few. Enjolras joined her, reading off the title and getting either a "yes" or "no" from her. The collection that she had amassed was rather impressive, stacks of five or six lining the entire wall.

"How did you get these?" Enjolras asked.

"I worked at a book store before. Instead of getting paid I would take a book, sometimes. I didn't realize how immensely stupid it was until I didn't have anything to eat for two days," she answered with a small laugh.

As horrified Enjolras was by the idea of her practically starving, he couldn't help but admire the sheer determination she had for access to knowledge. As he read more and more of the books, he realized that a good percentage of them were medically oriented. It started to piece together the miracle of her saving him.

She rose, balancing about twenty books in her arms. "Can you get that?" Evelyn gestured with her shoulder to a beat-up _portmanteau_ partially hidden underneath the chair.

Enjolras brought it to her and held it open. Evelyn dumped all her books in it and closed it.

"That's it?" Enjolras asked carefully.

"Yes, why the hell would I want to remember this place?" Evelyn turned, the familiar lopsided smile back on her face. She took the _portmanteau_ from his hands, letting it fall to her side.

"Then, shall we?" Enjolras proposed, a small smile creeping onto his lips.

Evelyn re-adjusted her posture and held the _portmanteau_ in both hands front of her. Enjolras grabbed the other two and they walked just past the doorframe when Evelyn proclaimed, "wait!" and dropped her suitcase.

She ran inside the room and grabbed the two blankets. She walked up to a woman sitting in the alleyway with a baby and a young child and handed them the blankets with a warm smile. She told them they could stay in the apartment until the rent was up, and there were books to sell inside, should they have to. The woman sprang up and hugged Evelyn, who hugged just as hard back.

Enjolras watched the act of generosity with pride. _She's special, alright_, he thought. Evelyn walked back to Enjolras and picked up her suitcase. "Let's go," she said, smiling. Enjolras grinned back. Evelyn liked this side of him.

Enjolras and Evelyn lugged their belongings back to the fountain where they would meet the carriage. They sat on the stone side, waiting for the driver.

"Who was that?" Enjolras asked, referring to the beggar outside her apartment.

"Oh. Her name is Jennifer. She waits out there usually begging for food and things. I gave her and her two kids what I could, which wasn't much."

Just then the carriage pulled up, interrupting the conversation.

The pair climbed in, choosing seats next to each other and placing the _portmanteaus_ at their feet.

"So, your family." Enjolras was determined to get to the root of this. He found it strange that she had never mentioned her last name and that she would lie about being engaged to not see them.

Evelyn sighed and wiped her face with her hands, "What about them?"

"Why don't you talk about them?"

"You don't talk about yours."

"Because you already know about mine."

"Not really."

"What would you like to know about them then?"

Evelyn thought for a moment, "Everything."

"Why am I not surprised?" he teased.

"What?" Evelyn feigned surprise, "Is Julien being sarcastic?"

"I'm afraid you rubbed off on me," Enjolras said, lightly chuckling.

"Anyways..." Evelyn redirected him back to the subject of his life. He was borderline ashamed of his privileged upbringing, as when most people heard it they distrusted his devotion to the cause.

Enjolras summarized it, "I lived on the coast and then moved here to study at the Sorbonne."

Evelyn stared blankly at him, expecting him to say something more. Enjolras just laughed. Evelyn kept her expectant expression.

"Fine," Enjolras complied, "My father was a lawyer and we lived in Le Havre. I had a decent childhood and met Marius during that time. Our parents were friends, and so we automatically were. We then went to the Sorbonne and I began to study law. I will most likely inherit my father's firm someday." He swung his head at Evelyn with a sense of finality. "Your turn," he said.

Evelyn's mind was racing. She hadn't told anybody, save for Eponine, and wasn't looking forward it. She drew a deep breath. "I have one older sister, Margot, you met her, and a little brother and sister. We grew up in Montreuil. My father was a black smith and my mother worked sometimes at factories. Both served occasional jail time for God-knows-what. Up until fifteen, my childhood was... bearable," She carefully picked her way through the conversation. "Well as decent as sharing a bed with three other people can get," The bitterness in her voice grew with every word. "Pretty soon after my fifteenth birthday," Evelyn closed her eyes, not wanting to see Enjolras's reaction, "my parents started parading me around hoping they could find a rich man that would marry me, so they could leech money off him." She opened her eyes and Enjolras could see rage flaming inside them, "They _ruined_ those years of my life. I didn't get to see any friends, as they would taint my "personality" and the only contact I had was with my siblings or the "nurse" they paid to teach me "manners", which I honestly don't even think were correct."

Evelyn took a deep breath, calming herself. "The only comfort I had was reading. Eventually I got fed up and ran away. Lived on the streets for a few weeks and met Eponine, then got a job at a bookstore, and saved up enough to rent that little room we stopped by today. I've been gone for... A year or so?" She frowned. Evelyn couldn't believe she had been gone that long. "Needless to say, I'm not very close with either of my parents."

The words hung in the air. Evelyn averted her gaze from Enjolras, who's eyes were narrowed.

Enjolras understood why she never wanted to see her parents again. He had half a mind to march to their current residence and give a _very _harshly worded speech to the both of them.

Enjolras shook his head, clearing his mind from the violent thoughts and turning his attention to Evelyn. His gaze softened, and he held Evelyn's hands in his.

"I am _so _sorry," he said.

"Why? You didn't do it," she returned back to her practical self, "The only reason I brought it up today is because I want to see my siblings without seeing them. Which I don't think is possible, but we'll find out. And sorry for saying that we were engaged, I had to make up something."

Enjolras shrugged it off, "It's fine, _mademoiselle_. Just caught me by surprise, that's all."

The carriage pulled up in the gravel driveway and Enjolras stepped out first, again stretching his hand for Evelyn to take. She didn't hesitate this time.

They heaved their luggage up to the front door and Enjolras swung the knocker. Joly promptly opened the door, letting the pair into the foyer. Evelyn and Enjolras stepped in, each carrying their belongings. Joly took Evelyn's and brought it up to her room. Evelyn opened her mouth to protest, but shut it when she realized it wouldn't get her anywhere.

The three at dinner as usual, and went up to bed at a respectable hour.

Evelyn reclined on a mass of pillows, holding a book in front of her face. She looked at the words but couldn't read them. Her mind was elsewhere.

_How could you let yourself crack like that? Sure the result was good... but there's no excuse for becoming a teary mess. What do feelings solve? Nothing. They solve nothing._

Then she recalled the Enjolras's warmth as he held her, comforting her. For the first time in a while, she felt _safe._ That was the word. She felt like nothing could hurt her in his embrace. It was just the two of them.

...

A whirlwind of emotions whipped through Enjolras's head. He tried to break down his feelings into a list, but felt it hard to admit his feelings for her.

He recounted the day: _Went to apartment, picked up belongings. Went to Evelyn's apartment, amazed by collection of books and kind-heartedness. Held her... _Enjolras savored this moment. He wanted so badly just to go and hold her again, and the fact that he couldn't explain why was slightly unnerving.

Enjolras was used to planning and organization. He was used to being in control. And here comes Evelyn, completely turning all that on it's head. She was frustrating, yet intriguing. Defiant, yet important. She was Evelyn.

**Ahhhh! Anybody as excited for the couple moment as I am? Don't forget to review!**


	17. Reunion

Chapter 17  
~Reunion~

Evelyn sat on the floor with her back on a bookshelf. The day, once again, was slow business. She was reading a newer book, _Pride and Prejudice_. It was some British novel. Enjolras reminded her much of Mr. Darcy...

She couldn't seem to get him out of her head. It was mildly frustrating how he followed her everywhere in her mind, but wanted nothing to do with her otherwise. Until yesterday, that is.

The bell sounded at the front door, interrupting her thoughts.

...

Enjolras stayed at his desk the entire day, trying to force the words onto the page. He had managed to scrape out two essays so far, falling short of his goal of five.

Enjolras was distracted. His mind kept wandering to Joly at the Sorbonne and Evelyn out doing whatever. Enjolras wasn't too far from graduating, himself. But he found it difficult to imagine himself returning. He would graduate at the end of this coming school year, should he choose to go.

And what would he do from there? His father's right-hand man was running the firm until Enjolras chose to take it over, which would most likely be as soon as he graduated.

But his heart remained in the cause. He resented his acceptance of the pardon, and thought about turning himself in. But then the revolution would go nowhere. If Joly led it, he wouldn't be able to even dream of becoming a doctor. If Evelyn... Enjolras mulled this thought over. She was bright, strong, and quite the spitfire... But he doubted she would have the discipline to lead a revolution. Or that any man would listen to her. Which was a shame, really.

Enjolras's mind went back to Evelyn. His curiosity towards her was almost unbearable. He had never thought about a woman like this before. Then again, he had never met a woman like Evelyn. They were a distraction to him.

Just look at Grantiare... Enjolras sighed and ran his palm over his hair. He even missed _Grantaire_. He shoved the feelings, still too painful, downward.

He tried to return to writing, but gave up and looked around his room. A lunch tray sat, neglected, on the trunk at the foot of his un-made bed. Enjolras had taken the french press from the kitchen earlier, supplying unlimited refills for his coffee.

But _Evelyn_. He recalled how her blue eyes shone while she laughed. How her smile lit up an entire room. How she helps others before herself (though he was slightly worried about the extent of this behavior). Most importantly, she wasn't flippant or meek like most women he had met. She was brave, yet gentle. Her sarcastic and playful attitude made her a challenge for Enjolras. Which only made him want her more.

His brows furrowed as he thought of ways to ignore her.

...

That Sunday, Evelyn had managed to convince Enjolras to come with her to meet her family. Honestly, she was afraid. She was afraid that her parents would force her back into... whatever she was in before. Evelyn was happy with Joly and Musichetta and Enjolras and with the lifestyle she was living. Albeit she felt a little like she was taking advantage of Joly's hospitality, but she helped out around the house and paid Joly "rent."

Enjolras had tried to refuse Evelyn's offer, but he couldn't. Enjolras knew he acted out of impulse whenever he was around her, casting off his usual level-headedness. She was the definition of irresistible to him, and that was infuriating. He was much too mature to be messing around with women.

...

Evelyn and Enjolras arrived at the fountain at noon. Evelyn carried a bag of candies for her little siblings in her left hand, her right arm slipped into Enjolras's elbow.

Nobody was there. Evelyn peered around, looking for any sign of the kids. No sign of them. Evelyn turned to Enjolras, "I don't see them." He pulled out his watch.

"It's only 12:02, maybe they're just a little late," Enjolras replied. Evelyn took a deep breath. She was so anxious to see them. Rene would be fourteen, Caroline, eight; she imagined they're appearances in her head.

Enjolras and Evelyn sat on the side of the fountain for a half hour. Enjolras watched how her expression shifted from excitement to disappointment. At 12:30, he had to practically pull her to her feet.

Evelyn wanted to curl up into a ball. She looked back at the fountain, hoping to see the three of them round the corner.

Her eyes landed on the brass plaque, glinting in the sun light. A white piece of paper sat at the base of it. Her eyes narrowed.

"Wait!" she screamed, almost dragging Enjolras back to the fountain. She stooped down, opening the folded piece of paper.

_Papa wont let uz leev_

_owr adrez: 24 rue palmier_

_-Rene_

Evelyn was mixed with elation that she had found them, and misery that she had to face her parents. She looked up at Enjolras. "They're at the new house," she bit her lip, contemplatively, "Let's go."

Enjolras followed her lead.

...

They arrived at a run-down apartment fifteen minutes later. Evelyn took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Enjolras stood behind her.

The door creaked open, revealing a small child poking her through the crack. Her blond hair was matted, and her clothes faded.

"Caroline!" Evelyn screamed, a grin lighting up her face. She pushed open the door, lifting the girl, who was frighteningly light. Enjolras noticed that the small child had a large, purplish bruise on her arm.

As soon as she had recognized her sister, Caroline buried her head in her chest, smiling.

A boy stood inside, arms crossed. His chin jutted out, similar to Evelyn's, and he watched Enjolras with narrow eyes. Who was this strange man, and why had he taken away his sister? Why were they dressed so nice?

Enjolras glanced at the wiry boy, taking notice of his black eye. He wasn't any better off than his sister.

Evelyn placed Caroline down and embraced her little brother, who was as tall as her now. She looked into his eyes and was alarmed by the black eye. Things had gotten worse.

"Where were you?" Rene asked, anger in his voice. Evelyn was taken aback when she heard that his voice had gotten deeper. Evelyn didn't respond. She felt guilty for leaving, like she was the reason why the situation had become even worse. Rene spoke accusatorially at Enjolras, "Why did you take her?"

Enjolras looked back at the kid, surprised. Evelyn combed Rene's hair with her fingers. "He didn't take me, _chou_," Evelyn answered, almost whispering. "I left."

The feeling of betrayal washed over Rene's face. He shoved her away. "Why?!" He started yelling, more hurt than angry. "Why did you leave us?" Did she have any idea what she had done to the family? To him? She was one of the few people he trusted, and she just upped and out.

Caroline, frightened, held onto Enjolras's pant leg. Enjolras was surprised, but allowed her to stay. Evelyn's expression turned to mortification. Enjolras wanted to hold her again and tell her it was all going to be all right.

A burly, dirty man rounded the corner, followed by Margot. He strode over to Evelyn and embraced her in what Enjolras could only assume to be a bear hug. Evelyn pushed him off in disgust.

"How dare you," she hissed, referring to both the injuries on her siblings and their past. Anger spilled out. She stepped right up to her father's face.

"I hate you," Evelyn said, her voice low but sinister.

Evelyn's father stepped back, infuriated. He struck Evelyn on the cheek. Her head whipped to the side from the force. Enjolras lunged towards her, but before he could reach her, Evelyn had already nailed a punch straight to her father's nose. The massive man reeled back, momentarily stunned. Evelyn turned on her heel and walked out of the door, followed by Enjolras. She faced into the room, standing on the threshold, hand on the doorknob, her eyes back to that same toxic green he saw when Eponine died. She slammed the door shut, rattling the floorboards.

Evelyn stomped down the staircase and onto the side walk below, Enjolras close behind. He just didn't know what to say. This whole situation was so foreign to him.

Evelyn still held the little bag of candies in her hand. She stood out on the side walk, her heart pounding.

A scream, most likely from Caroline emanated from the apartment, breaking the heavy silence. "I can't leave them here," Evelyn said under her breath. She turned on her heel and ran back up to the apartment. She easily shoved open the flimsy door to the apartment.

Caroline and her father stood in the center of the room, Caroline's neck encircled by her father's hands. Rene was a crumpled heap in the corner. Margot stood, watching.

Enjolras closely followed Evelyn, in hopes of stopping her from doing anything foolish. He was bewildered and infuriated at the situation at hand.

Evelyn grabbed the metal candle dish and slammed her father on the head with it, sending him into unconsciousness.

Evelyn scooped up Caroline, who was sputtering, trying to breathe. Evelyn spoke to Enjolras, who was wearing a stern expression, "Get Rene." Enjolras picked up the boy with set jaw and followed Evelyn out the door. Margot tried to protest, but Evelyn shot her a glare and shut her up. She was furious at her older sister, who passively watched their younger siblings take the beating.

Evelyn and Enjolras walked out onto the cobble. Evelyn hadn't thought this far ahead, and now they were just walking towards the fountain. Rene woke up, and almost fell out of Enjolras's arms when he tried to escape. Enjolras placed him back on the street. Caroline's arms circled Evelyn's neck, her face buried in her chest. Rene was too confused and exhausted to say anything, so they just walked in silence.

"We can't take them back to Joly's," Evelyn said to Enjolras. _That would be too much to ask of him... We could go back to my apartment... maybe stay with the woman and her children._

"Where do we go, then?" Evelyn said, more to herself than anyone else.

"We can go to my flat," Enjolras proposed. Evelyn looked at him in disbelief. That was too much to ask. She hardly knew Enjolras, anyways. Enjolras read her expression, "Really. I have a lease on it that's not lifting any time soon. Just have them stay there." It was the right thing to do.

Evelyn mulled it over, and saw that it was their only option. She complied.

...

They arrived at Enjolras's house at a little before two. Evelyn sat Caroline down on Enjolras's bed and stretched her shoulder. The wound remained, but there was no extra damage. Enjolras sat awkwardly on the stool at the foot of his bed. Rene scrutinized every little detail about the flat. The tension in the room was almost unbearable.

Rene walked to the desk, stepping on one of Enjolras's books. Enjolras cringed. Rene straddled the chair, resting his chin on the back.

Evelyn imagined their reunion to be a joyous one, not anything like this. She took out her bag of candies, and handed a cherry one to Caroline. She tossed a butterscotch to Enjolras. Rene sat still in the chair, staring blankly at the floor. Evelyn strode over and embraced him, hugging him tight to her chest and burying her face in his hair. Rene accepted her unspoken apology and wrapped his arms around her waist. She was soft and smelled clean: the complete opposite of how she left.

Enjolras watched the reunion with content. He was appalled at the home situation, but amazed by the love all of them had for each other. As an only child, he wouldn't call himself lonely, but he didn't have any companions this close.

"So," Caroline's high pitched voice broke the silence, "are you Evelyn's husband?"

Evelyn let out a little laugh, "No, cherie, this is Enjolras. We have only known each other for a little bit, but I think we've gotten to know each other pretty well. Huh, Enjy?"

Enjolras rolled his eyes at the new nickname, but he cheered up, feeling like he owed he children at least some happiness. "Yup." He pulled out his pocket watch. The carriage would be arriving to pick them up soon. Well, him up. Evelyn would stay here with the kids.

He bid them goodbye, and Evelyn looked at him gratefully. He nodded his head and shut the door behind him.


	18. Voltaire

_Chapter 18  
~Voltaire~_

Musichetta and Joly laid on the sofa, passionately kissing one another. Joly's shirt was unbuttoned, his hair rumpled. Musichettta's dress was slipped off on one shoulder, her updo falling into pieces.

Naturally, Enjolras was horrified at the sight. He let out a small cry of surprise, and swiftly backed away. Joly looked up at him, speaking breathlessly, "I'm afraid you can't stay here much longer. I proposed to Musichetta, and I think we're going to be living here." Musichetta's kisses did not subside, interrupting Joly every few syllables.

Enjolras bounded up the stairs, determined to pack up and leave the house at once. He hastily shoved all his belongings into the _portmanteaus_, grumbling inwardly about Joly's and Musichetta's display of affection. He pinched the bridge of his nose in a feeble attempt to rid himself of the mental images.

He wondered where he would stay. Marius's home may be open, pray that his grandfather didn't refuse, which he most likely would. He passed Evelyn's room, door half way open. _I should probably take all her stuff to her, anyways. I'll stop by the flat first_.

Enjolras set the luggage on the hallway floor, and began to pack Evelyn's stuff. The undergarment's drawer was a bit of a hassle, but for fear of seeing Joly downstairs again, he dealt with it.

He stopped at the bottom drawer, a little disturbed at the contents. His red coat was folded, cockade still attached. Tears and bullet holes dredged up the painful memories that Enjolras was trying to ignore. He forcefully slammed the drawer shut.

Enjolras was healing, but there was still a long way to go. He knew he wasn't completely at fault for his friends's deaths. However, most of him still felt like it.

Enjolras lugged the suitcases down the stairs and into the carriage, heading for the flat.

...

Evelyn laid on the bed, Caroline under her arm. She felt slightly uncomfortable being in Enjolras's bed. It had been left unmade since the morning of the funeral. Evelyn was mildly unsettled at how much comfort the fact that the bed smelled a little like him gave her.

She twirled Caroline's dirty hair absently, making a mental note to give her a bath as soon as possible. Rene sat on the foot of the bed, looking around at the various titles of the many books scattered around the room. He felt awkward, sitting in a rich young man's apartment with his newly-returned sister. Rene wanted to run away. _Hell, Evelyn didn't have any problems with it, why should I? _Though he couldn't do that to her. Or Caroline. Or to himself. He loved his sister, and to leave her would hurt him as much as it would hurt her. So he stayed. But he wasn't happy about it.

The silence was healthy. It allowed them to get used to each other, and be glad for each other's physical company. Eventually, Evelyn's curiosity took over. "Where was Maman?"

"Jail," Rene responded.

"How long has she been there for?"

"Year," Rene grunted. He was planning on keeping the responses monosyllabic.

_Typical._ Evelyn thought. She was still angry about Margot's failure to defend their siblings. It would be a long time before she ever trusted her with them again.

Instincts kicked in for Evelyn, and she rose to the challenge of being responsible for the kids now. She was determined for them to live the rest of their childhood in greatness.

Though she wondered if anything was permanent. Enjolras implied that they could stay here for a while, but what would happen when the lease was up? Evelyn would need to get a new job to support the three of them... her head ached from all the logistics.

She decided to put off planning and just enjoy the rest of the day with her family.

"Where did you get your dress from?" Caroline asked, her voice high.

This was, for obvious reasons, difficult to explain. She watered it down. "I lived with a friend for a little bit and then we met more friends, and one of the new friends bought me it."

"Was that friend Enjy?"

"No," Evelyn said.

"Do you love each other?"

Rene had to force himself not to throw up. _Why_ was his sister sleeping with a man from the upperclass? They resented them. It was what they would spend those hours talking about. Before she left.

"No," Evelyn laughed it off.

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked.

"Yes."

Rene was positive she was lying. Maybe she didn't want to taint little Caroline, but he knew the truth. Even the way that guy looked at her made Rene sick.

...

Bars of light streamed through the windows and into the flat in the late afternoon sun. Evelyn was disturbed by a knock at the door. Her heart leapt into her throat. _What if it is Pere coming to take the kids back?_ She stooped to access the nightstand, and opened the bottom drawer. _Ah ha. Just as I thought_. Evelyn pulled out a pistol. Caroline's eyes widened. Evelyn motioned for her to be quiet. She softly stepped to the door, holding the gun behind her back. Evelyn took a deep breath and turned the doorknob open.

Enjolras stood in the doorway, four _portmanteaus_ on the floor at the sides. Evelyn's pounding heartbeat, however, didn't butt of the pistol now awkwardly jabbed into her back. Enjolras shuffled in with the bags.

"What are you doing here?" Evelyn asked.

"I came to drop your things off. You are staying here for a while, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm planning on it," Evelyn looked up and gave a small smile, "Thank you."

Enjolras dismissed it with a nod, "My pleasure, _mademoiselle_."

Evelyn poked further, "But all my stuff would only fit in two. What's in the other ones?"

"My things."

Evelyn looked at him, curiously. _Is he planning on staying here too? That's a bit unorthodox... but it's his flat I guess_. Enjolras read her expression.

"Uh, Joly..." he ran his hand in his curls, glowing in the afternoon light. His face turned red, recalling the rather disturbing experience at Joly's, "Joly proposed... to Musichetta.. and they were... doing that thing you do when you..." He cast his gaze to the floor.

Evelyn smiled, amused at both Enjolras's embarrassment and Joly's proposal.

"Anyways, I went to Marius's first, but you know his grandfather," _Damned bonapartist_. Enjolras thought, "So if it is alright, I am going to stay here until I figure out something better." He was slightly uncomfortable with the situation at hand, but he would make do.

Enjolras stepped inside the room and was greeted by a piercing glare from Rene. _Apparently silent intimidation runs in the family. _Caroline sat pleasantly on his bed, cross-legged. He didn't mind having the kids there. In fact, he was glad he was given the chance to help the poorer citizens.

Evelyn stood stiffly with her back to the wall, trying to hide the gun behind her back. She didn't want Enjolras wondering why she had it ready to fire. She inched over to the nightstand and crouched down, slowly pulling the gun from her waistband. Enjolras's eyes landed on the glint of pewter from Evelyn's side.

"What is that?" he asked.

Evelyn froze. She rose slowly, pulling out the gun. "Oh this?" she laughed lightly, "I was just... looking at it." Enjolras gave her a curious look but dropped the subject.

"I'm hungry," Caroline whined. Evelyn and Enjolras looked to each other for direction.

"I usually just eat out," Enjolras stated.

"Ok," Evelyn replied. That wasn't going to work for all four of them, so she looked in the pantry. A solitary box of crackers sat on the middle shelf. "Well, I'm off to the market then." She tied her bonnet around her face and filled a little pouch with some money.

"Evelyn I want to go with you!" Caroline squealed.

Evelyn sighed and then smiled. "Alright, come on now. I'm hungry," she turned to the boys, "you two alright here?" Rene gave a passive grunt and Enjolras a confident nod. Evelyn led Caroline out by her hand.

...

Enjolras settled on the upholstered bench at the foot of his bed. Rene waited until Evelyn and Caroline's footsteps faded down the hallway before he swung his head to Evelyn's suitor, eyes narrow. Rene cleared his throat.

"I don't know who ya are," he said, rising, "But I can tell by looking at ya that you're exactly the sort of bourgeois prick my sister doesn't need around. And I know this is your flat and Evelyn wont let us leave, but I swear to God if you hurt her-"

"I would never hurt her," Enjolras said firmly, locking eye contact with Rene. The applied stereotype made his blood boil. "We aren't together anyways. I don't know you and you don't know me. Instead of being prejudiced about it, why don't we get to know each other first." He stuck out his right hand, tight lipped. Rene eyed it suspiciously before shaking it.

...

Evelyn scanned the selection of bread at the bakers. Caroline tugged on her skirt. "Are you two getting married?"

Evelyn sighed, exasperated, "No."

"Why not?"

Evelyn scoffed, "Because we don't love each other."

"But he's living with us."

"Yes. He is my friend. We've lived together for a while before with another man, but he's getting married, so he had to move." Evelyn felt "a while" was appropriate because they had shared more emotionally than most friends would in years in a three-week span.

"Do you love him?"

"Caroline..." It was a good question, however. _Do I? He's brave and determined, certainly handsome... he's so serious though. Well, there was that time in the carriage on the way back... _Thinking about it actually made Evelyn a little more confused. She quickly changed the subject. "What kind of bread do you want?"

...

Enjolras was lying on his back on the bench, one knee up and the other leg dangling off the side. He held _Voltaire_ above his face, analyzing each word. Rene still sat in the chair, thinking to himself. He wasn't educated enough to read one of Enjolras's books, so he surrendered to day dreaming.

A pop sounded from the doorknob and the front door swung open. Evelyn carried two bags of groceries in her arms, and was followed by Caroline, who was nibbling on a rather large baguette.

Enjolras stood and took the bags from her arms, setting them on the counter in the kitchen. Evelyn untied her bonnet and combed her fingers through her hair, almost making Enjolras place the groceries on thin air by mistake. How much she distracted him frustrated Enjolras.

There wasn't anything to occupy his time anymore. Sure, letters got him a long way, but it wasn't the time consuming activity that organizing student revolutionaries was. _Though Joly has a point about going back to school..._

Evelyn noticed Rene's scowl had somewhat diminished,which she took to mean that he and Enjolras had at least acquainted with each other. She glided to the kitchen, helping Enjolras put away the groceries. Caroline tore off a hunk of bread and handed it to Rene, who devoured it. Stealing was their main technique to getting food, and most of what he took he gave to his sister.

Evelyn pulled out the onions and flour from the bag, placing them on the counter. "I'm going to make onion soup. I saw a recipe for it in the bookstore before," she told Enjolras.

"Great," replied Enjolras, uninterested. Frankly, he didn't really care what he was eating. Though he was interested to see if Evelyn could actually cook or not.

Evelyn opened a few cupboards, looking for a pot. She saw one on the top shelf. Evelyn stood on her tip-toes, stretching herself as far as she could, but her fingers fell an inch short. Enjolras noticed this and retrieved it for her.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile, though inwardly irritated knowing that she could have done it herself if she had found a stool or some other platform.

Evelyn gathered the ingredients in one place, and began chopping up the onions. She tucked lock of dark hair behind her hair. Enjolras stood with the countertop supporting his back, arms crossed. He watched Evelyn out of the corner of his eye, dazed.

Evelyn noticed, and without looking up from her onions, she said, "Do you want to help?"

"No," replied Enjolras, curtly. He was a terrible cook and he was not going to put that on display. Evelyn shrugged it off and continued working.

...

About an hour later, dinner was ready. The last few hours of sunlight turned the room a golden color, bathing everything in warmth.

Enjolras's flat lacked a table, requiring the group to fend for themselves in terms of eating. Evelyn sat on the counter, legs dangling off. Rene and Caroline sat on the bench, and Enjolras on the chair at the desk.

They ate mainly in silence. Though the room was filled with slurps from Rene and Caroline. They had gone too long without a hearty meal like this.

After dinner Evelyn took Caroline into the bathroom to scrub her down. Rene was told to go after Caroline.

Under all the dirt and grime, Caroline's freckles became more prominent and her blonde hair lightened. She had similar features to Evelyn, unlike Rene. Evelyn sticked her in one of her nightgowns and a pair of bloomers, making a mental note to go out and buy something for her tomorrow.

Rene, however, would not be wearing one of Evelyn's nightgowns. For this reason, Rene protested bathing. Enjolras, being the generous gentleman he was, donated one of his nightshirts and a pair of underwear. Which basically required Evelyn to lock him in the bathroom until Rene donned the garments. He refused to make eye contact with anybody when he emerged.

The clock rounded 9 o'clock as they all finished their baths. Sleeping arrangements still had to be made.

Evelyn offered the bed to Enjolras first, considering it was his flat. But, of course, he refused and made a makeshift bed out of a bundle of blankets on the floor at the foot of the bed. Rene, Evelyn, and Caroline all slept on the mattress.

...

Unable to sleep, Evelyn laid awake, staring at the ceiling. Caroline's head was on her chest, and Rene's chest moved rhythmically.

Enjolras's covers were completely thrown off. He began to whimper, fidgeting. Evelyn waited for it to pass, but after a few minutes, she felt a mix of irritation and pity.

She left the bed, softly padding over to him. Evelyn bent down, kneeling in front of his face. Little beads of sweat were forming on his forehead, the sheet balled up in his fist. She gently swept the curls away from his forehead, sympathetically gazing at him. His marble face was twisted.

Clueless as how to handle this and clouded by lack of sleep, Evelyn shook his shoulder, trying to wake him up. Deep in sleep, it was to no avail. Evelyn sighed out of exasperation.

She spotted a book by Voltaire on the bench, and an idea was born. Evelyn reached for it and cracked it open. _I have nothing better to do... I will laugh so hard if this works..._ Sitting cross-legged, so that the moon light hit the pages, she began to read.

"Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them." Enjolras's fidgeting stopped. Evelyn stifled a giggle.

"The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us," Enjolras's pained expression and whimpers were diminishing. Evelyn flipped the pages until she found another anecdote.

"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game," Enjolras mumbled along with the last part, forcing Evelyn to bite her lip to keep herself quiet.

Sure enough, the prose lulled Enjolras back to soft sleep. Evelyn laughed out loud, clapping her hand over her mouth when she realized it would unravel her work. Evelyn touched her hand to Enjolras's cheek, letting it linger for a moment on his warm skin.

Then, she crawled back into bed, sinking into sleep.

...

"_There's more men! There's more men Enjolras!" Combeferre called out to him. _

_"'Ferre! 'Ferre, I don't know what to do!" Enjolras shouted, clambering the barricade, trying to find his friend. Suddenly, a voice sounded from the heavens: "Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them." He recognized it as Voltaire. 'Ferre's cries and the barricade faded into a field. Wild grasses waved in the wind, flowers interspersed. The voice continued, "and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them." _

_He listened to the words, conflicted. Deep down, Enjolras knew he needed to move on. But he felt like he was betraying his friends. They didn't get the chance to live their lives. _

_"The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us." The voice rang true. He needed to restart the revolution. His friends would not die in vain. _

_"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her: but once they are in hand," Enjolras completed the last part by heart, "he or she alone must decide how to play the cards in order to win the game." He needed to play it smart. He would finish school first, but continue small anonymous works, like letters and flyers. _

_A breeze ran through the grasses, caressing his cheek. The world faded to black._


	19. Pere

_Chapter 19  
~Pere~_

At the flat, Evelyn scanned the jobs section of the newspaper during her lunch break at the flat. Rene and Caroline were out playing and Enjolras was doing whatever. There was only an opening for a scullery maid. Which Evelyn detested the idea of for a few reasons: it was the lowest of the low in terms of ranking, it was mainly washing dishes and floors, and the idea of having no control over what she did the entire day was almost unbearable. At least at the book store she could read the merchandise.

But it was two francs a day. Which she needed. She circled the address of the employer and hid it under the bed. She wouldn't let Enjolras know of her potential occupation.

Enjolras opened the door, striding into the main room. "_Bonjour, mademoiselle._" He said, taking off his jacket.

"_Bonjour, _Julien," Evelyn said pleasantly. She had picked up a book, pretending that she had been reading it all along. "Are you hungry? I'm planning on making an omelet, so if you want one..."

"That would be wonderful," Enjolras replied. He had gone for a walk that morning, but got rather side tracked and spent the day at the Sorbonne's library, forgetting to eat anything until now.

Evelyn tied up her hair as she moved to the kitchen. She placed a teakettle on the stove. "So how has your day been so far?" she asked, not moving her eyes from her task.

"Good. I went to the library. I think I'm going to continue my classes this fall." Enjolras answered, taking his seat on the chair at the desk. He had thought of a few phrases on his walk and wanted to jot them down before they got lost.

"Joly's quite the trendsetter, huh?" she said with a lopsided smile. Enjolras noticed the dimple in her left cheek. He gave a noncommittal nod. "Anyways, how close are you to graduating?" She lifted the teakettle and poured boiling water into two cups.

"This coming spring."

Evelyn almost spilled hot water on herself. _What? He didn't look that old to me. I thought he was my age. I mean, four years isn't that much of a difference, but still. _"Oh," she laughed breathily. Enjolras looked at her, confused. "I'm only 17. I turn 18 in December, though," she answered. At the moment she couldn't remember the exact date.

Enjolras swallowed. _Alright... I thought she was older, but that's ok. Four years isn't really irregular. She's pretty mature anyways. It's not like we'd be doing anything! You don't even know if any thing would happen. Don't get ahead of yourself._

She handed him his tea, their fingertips touching. Enjolras felt the tips of his ears warm and immediately bolted up in posture, a little tea sloshing out of the cup and onto Evelyn's skirt. Evelyn saw his cheeks go a little pink and he smoothed his hair with his palm.

She laughed it off as she ran her hands down her skirt.

"Pardon me, I am so sorry."

"It's fine," she said, smiling, "I'll just smell like earl grey for the day." She strolled back to the kitchen and cracked an egg on the countertop, slipping it onto the pan. Enjolras returned to his book.

As her omelet cooked, she got progressively more worried that her siblings hadn't come home. _What if Papa found them? What if one of them got run over by a carriage or something? _

As she flipped her omelet, her prayers were answered. Rene sauntered through the door, Caroline in tow. They both had re-worn their dirty clothing from yesterday.

Enjolras lifted his eyes from Voltaire and onto the children. Rene walked up to his sister and stole a chunk of ham from the cutting board. Evelyn placed a kiss on the top of his head and ruffled his hair.

"I assume you want an omelet, _chou_?"

"Yup."

"Caroline, do you want one?"

"Can I have another candy?"

"You can have an omelet."

"Okay."

Evelyn smiled to herself. She loved her siblings. She didn't care if she had to take a nightmare job to support them. As long as they were together.

...

Enjolras laid awake, contemplating.

As did Evelyn.

However, both were unaware of the other as they pretended to be asleep for the sake of the others in the room.

Evelyn shifted to her right so that she could look out the window, but nothing was interesting enough to keep her there. She sat up and wiped her hand down her face, squishing her cheeks.

Enjolras heard the noise of someone clearly awake, and stilled himself, feigning sleep. Evelyn noticed his unusually still body and her suspicions arose. "Julien?" she whispered.

He found her irresistible. "Yes?" he replied, keeping his voice down.

"Hah! I knew you were awake. You're way too much of a restless sleeper to be that quiet," Evelyn suddenly realized how intrusive that sounded. Enjolras, thankfully, didn't seem to notice.

"What are you doing up?" he asked, trying to find something to say.

"Can't sleep."

_Of course you can't. _"Okay."

"Have you talked to Joly lately?"

"No."

"Well you should," she moved on the bed so that her head was at the foot of the bed and she was laying on her stomach. "We should have dinner with them." Evelyn had come to the realization that Musichetta was her only girlfriend.

Enjolras thought to himself, _Stop the conversation before you say something stupid. I should probably ask 'Ferre about this... _A pang of grief hit. _Marius. I should ask Marius... though he can be very overdramatic. I can ask Joly. _He resolved to send a letter for Joly tomorrow.

"Sure," he said and rolled over to the side opposite Evelyn. He readjusted his head on the pillow, signifying that the conversation was over.

Evelyn frowned and returned back to normal sleeping orientation.

...

Evelyn walked briskly to the post office in the early morning light. She held the square of paper she tore out from the newspaper in her hand. At the post office, she could write the letter to the employers. Evelyn was thinking of phrases to put in the letter. How could she make it seem like she can clean floors really well?

She finished scrawling the note after four rough drafts. Having next to no experience with writing with pen, more than a few inkblots decorated the final copy. She sighed and wedged the parchment into the envelope, which was addressed to the Laurent family in the sixteenth arrondissement.

Evelyn took a deep breath, and sent the letter down the chute.

...

Enjolras was mildly alarmed when he woke up and saw that Evelyn was not there. It took him a minute to realize that she probably left for the bookstore, but he didn't remember her leaving quite this early. He shrugged it off and moved to brew a pot of coffee.

Rene roused himself and shook Caroline awake.

"Stop" she said, the word still thick with sleep.

"Come on, we gotta go to the library. If you wanna get anywhere in life we gotta know how ta read," Rene said. Evelyn's lasting piece of advice to him was to learn. With learning, people were going to respect you and want to employ you a whole lot more.

Enjolras's ears perked up. Apparently Evelyn led a little band of hopeful students. He amended to help teach them. Certainly Rene was old enough to learn more difficult math. Maybe, if he was bright enough, he could make it to boarding school in the fall. Enjolras moved over to his desk and sat down. Enjolras picked up his pen and scrawled the note to Joly, handing it to Rene to give to the post as he left.

...

The church bells had just rang 12 noon when Enjolras opened the door to the flat. He had been for a walk, trying to clear his mind for various reasons but to no avail.

Enjolras's eyes landed on Rene, who was sitting on the bench and reading, or at least trying to, one of Enjolras's law textbooks.

A small smile graced his face when he saw the kid trying to teach himself from a college textbook.

"Where's Caroline?" Enjolras asked.

"With her friends." Rene remained intent on the book.

"So I take it you know how to read," Enjolras said, changing the subject.

Rene looked up with an offended expression, "No. I'm just making pictures out of all the funny letters. Yes, of course I know how to read!" Sarcasm ran in the Delacroix family.

"Have you been to school then?"

Rene slowly looked up from the book, "Really _monsieur_, if I didn't know this textbook was yours I'd think ya slow." He noticed his confused expression and clarified, "No. I have not. Though Evelyn taught me how to read. I'm not any good at math though."

Enjolras nodded slowly. _So Rene isn't stupid... I should probably make a move to get him into school then. For the cause. I can pull some strings. He should have an equal chance as any other boy. _

"Do you want to go to school?"

Rene had to think about this for a second."Yeah, I guess."

"Alright then," Enjolras moved to the desk and pulled out a stack of paper. "So let's start with the ancient Greeks"

"Wait what are you doing?"

"Getting you into school. Look, you're a smart child. You can get into school and you should."

"And how am I supposed to pay for that?"

"Don't worry about that part. Now-" Enjolras knew he could fund tuition, but he didn't want to flaunt it.

"When would I even go? Doesn't it start in two months? I can't learn five years worth of stuff in two months."

"I told you, don't worry about it."

Rene looked at him strangely, "Alright then... Where do we start?"

Enjolras realized he was a little at loss for teaching skills. "I'll send for a tutor." He moved to his desk and started composing a letter to the Chavagnes, where he had studied previous to the Sorbonne.

The click of the doorknob turning made both Enjolras's and Rene's heads turn. Evelyn shuffled through the door with a bag of groceries in her hands.

Enjolras swiftly strode over and carried them for her.

"Thanks," she said with a warm smile.

Enjolras gave a curt nod in response.

Evelyn looked around the room and her heart jumped into her throat. "Where's Caroline?"

Suddenly the door swung open from behind her. Caroline waltzed in. Evelyn let out a sigh and hugged her. Caroline squirmed out of her embrace and grabbed an apple from the countertop. She remembered what Papa had told her- don't say anything about their meeting today.

Rene wondered how he should tell Evelyn about the possibility of going to school. He exchanged glances with Enjolras, whose stern expression denoted that he shouldn't mention anything quite yet.

Evelyn put butter in the pan, preparing the _croque monsieurs_. The teakettle whistled and she poured a cup for her and Enjolras.

...

Evelyn laid awake, again. Enjolras was asleep this time. Or at least he was pretending. _God forbid I want to talk to him. _She rolled over and looked out the window to the stars. They shone against their black curtains, twinkling to the pulse of Paris. Evelyn let out a sigh. Other than that, it was so quiet she could have heard a pin drop.

But a noise from the hallway made her ears perk up. It sounded like footsteps. She listened closer. Definitely footsteps. _That's odd... almost nobody is coming home at this hour... _Evelyn tried to ignore it, dismissing it as a late-night partier.

The footsteps drew closer and Evelyn felt panic grip her chest. _Calm down. It's probably nothing. Who would come here anyways? _She instinctually pulled the covers up to her chin.

The footsteps stopped in front of their door. _Merde!_

She slowly climbed over Rene and out of bed, trying to find something to arm herself with. _Where is that Goddamned gun when I need it? Maybe I can grab a knife or something? _

The doorknob rattled. Evelyn nearly jumped out of her skin. _No time to grab a knife. You're gonna have to hold the door shut. It's probably nobody anyways. Maybe it's Joly or Marius stopping by for some reason. Maybe they're coming back from a party and their carriage broke down and they need a place to stay the night._

She walked softly to the door, bracing herself. The doorknob continued to rattle. Every hair stood up on her neck. Her hand hovered over it. Finally, she gripped the cold metal and twisted right. She pressed her shoulder on the door, hoping to block out any intruders.

Her heart dropped when her father's gigantic frame filled the narrow opening into the hallway. Due to the menial light from the single candle in the hallway, she could only see his silhouette. Evelyn glared with renewed hatred and she brought up her chin.

"What do you want?" she hissed, keeping her voice low.

"You know what I want, you little brat!" he shouted and pushed his hand on the door without moving his feet. Evelyn could feel his strength and knew she wouldn't be able to keep it closed. Her father flashed a sinister smile, pleased with his demonstration of how easily he could open it.

"You're not taking them back!" Evelyn whispered, praying that Rene and Caroline would stay asleep. Evelyn's father pushed on the door, sneering. Evelyn pushed all her weight against it, trying to close it so that she could lock it.

But she wasn't strong enough. Her feet slid on the wood floors, squeaking inch by inch. The door was now more than halfway open, almost enough space for him to enter.

Evelyn the click of a gun cocking next to her ear. She whipped her head around to see Enjolras standing next to her, gun poised for firing.

His curls stuck out, but his eyes were burning blue, clearly alert.

Her father dropped his hand from the door, but showed no sign of surrender.

"_Leave_," Enjolras commanded, his voice steady and powerful. Evelyn's heart was pounding so loudlyThe massive figure held his breath, as if he was weighing his options. Enjolras kept his gun up.

Without any words, her father slunk back into the darkness, heading for the other end of the hallway.

...

She drew a shaky breath, adrenaline flowing through her veins. She looked over at the kids, who were still asleep. Rene flopped his hand to his other side, but soon stilled.

Enjolras ran his hand through his hair.

Unsure as what to do next, Evelyn looked to Enjolras. He stood steady, completely unfazed by what just happened. _Well I guess he doesn't care.. Why should he? It's not his father coming to take his siblings, his few things he loves in this world away. It's not his father who was endlessly torturing said things. It's not his father who was ready to slam him against the wall... _Her eyes welled up with tears, and she looked away from Enjolras, crossing her arms. _God, Evelyn. Pull yourself together. There's nothing to even cry about. Nobody died. You've known for a long time Papa doesn't love you. _

Evelyn looked up at the ceiling, refusing to break down again.

"Evelyn?" Enjolras said, his voice hushed. He was genuinely curious as to how she was responding to this.

"Yes," she said, coldly.

Enjolras didn't know what to say. He eventually sputtered out, "Are you-"

"I'm fine. It's just... It's hard..." she didn't know how to articulate it. _It's hard not being loved. Feeling like nobody cares. Like nobody misses you or gets happy when you return home. Sure Rene and Caroline do to a certain extent, but I was gone for over a year. They're used to my being gone. They probably don't even enjoy my company._..._Ugh. Get over yourself, Evelyn. People have worse problems._

"It's just the like the final straw. Papa kind of reiterated that he doesn't...doesn't love me." Evelyn could feel herself choking up. "I mean he doesn't love any of us. It's not just me. I guess I like to believe it is just me, though. Rene and Caroline don't deserve that."

Enjolras stood stone still. _Be a gentleman_, he thought. He opened his mouth but Evelyn cut him off again.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm rambling. You probably don't care. I'm just a little bit... frazzled," she said with a sad smile.

Enjolras could see how tired she was. The moonlight angled towards her face in a way that pronounced each line, making her look much older... much more worn than his mental image of her.

Enjolras nodded, curtly. He placed the gun back on the top of the bookshelf and returned to his makeshift bed on the floor.

Evelyn crawled back into bed, and spent the rest of the night staring at the stars.


	20. Circumstances

_Chapter 20  
~Circumstances~_

Joly ripped open the letter from Enjolras. He knew it was from him when the moment he laid eyes on Enjolras's writing, which was always in all caps and hastily scrawled (unless it was to be published or to someone important, in which case it was always impeccable).

_JOLY,_

_I APOLOGIZE FOR RUNNING OUT YESTERDAY. CIRCUMSTANCES DID NOT PERMIT ME TO STAY. HOWEVER WE SHOULD GET TOGETHER FOR DINNER SOMETIME. TO DISCUSS THINGS. WE ARE STAYING AT THE FLAT, IF THAT WAS NOT ALREADY MADE APPARENT BY THE RETURN ADDRESS. I PRESUME THIS SUNDAY WILL BE AN APPROPRIATE DATE. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD INVITE MARIUS AS WELL._

_-ENJOLRAS_

_Oh, Enjolras, _Joly thought, _never one for pleasantries among friends._ Joly wrote back hastily and sent the letter back soon enough so that it would reach Enjolras later that day.

...

"Evelyn, there's a letter here for you," Enjolras said, holding the envelope in between two fingers outstretched towards her. Late afternoon light poured through the windows. She had just gotten home from the bookstore, and her silent prayers that Enjolras wouldn't open the letter were answered.

He opened the letter from Joly, tearing the seal with his thumb.

_Enjolras,_

_I'll see you and Marius Sunday at 4, mon ami! Also, do I sense some romance brewing?_

_Best,_

_Joly_

Enjolras felt his ears grow hot and quickly refolded the letter, eyes darting around the room as if he hadn't read anything. _Am I really being that obvious about it? _

"So we're going to Joly's this Sunday at 4. Is that alright?" Enjolras called to the kitchen, where Evelyn was brewing a pot of tea.

"Yes! It sounds great! It's funny, we've only been gone a few days and I already miss him," she smiled, handing Enjolras his tea. He was sure not to spill it this time.

"I think Marius is going to be there, too."

"Oh," she said, her eyebrows knitting together. She chewed the inside of her lower lip. _He probably hates me. I'm ok with that. The guy's a manipulative prick... No, no. Give him a chance. He's Julien's and Joly's friend, so you're gonna have to deal with him. You should be making friends, not enemies._

She glanced anxiously at the door, hoping Rene and Caroline would be there. That morning she was reluctant for them to step past the threshold, fearing that their father would be waiting to take them. It took promise after promise from Rene to convince her to let them go.

She changed the subject. "What are Rene and Caroline going to do? I assume we'll be staying late and I don't want to be so far away from them-"

"Evelyn, Rene is a savvy young man. He can take care of himself and Caroline, I'm sure," Enjolras said, confident in the boy.

Evelyn sighed. "Yes, you're right." She opened her eyes wide, trying to lift the fog from lack of sleep. Evelyn hadn't slept much more than a few hours every night since she first got word children.

Enjolras noticed her blank stares. She hadn't been able to hold a strong conversation for more than a few minutes these past few days, and that concerned him. The normal twinkle from her eyes was fading, and her smiles not as vibrant.

Evelyn sat behind the wall to the kitchen, blocked from Enjolras's view, and if she was quiet enough, his hearing. She took a deep breath and slowly opened the letter.

_Mlle._ _Evelyn Delacroix,_

_It is with great pleasure that we, the Laurent family, accept you into our home. Please report to our address Saturday, June 30th at 11 to discuss times, wages, etc. _

_Regards,_

_Mme. Emilie Laurent_

Evelyn's response was bittersweet. Yes, she was glad for the employment. But she was not looking forward to the actual work involved. _It could be worse, you could have been a prostitute. _In all her time on the streets she had never been so desperate as to sell herself. There were times where she came close, but she held fast to her dignity.

She rounded the corner into the kitchen, hiding the letter in the cupboard. _It's a good thing Julien never makes food..._ she thought, chuckling internally.

...

Enjolras leapt at Rene when he walked through the door. Enjolras held a one of his earliest purchases: _Aesop's fables. _He had enjoyed it as a child, and thought it would be a good exercise for the boy. Rene weighed the book in his hand, nodding.

Caroline strolled in, twirling a daisy in between her fingers and pleasantly smiling. Evelyn picked her up and propped her up on her hip. Which Enjolras reluctantly noticed had become slightly fuller since they met.

Seeing their happy little family made Enjolras feel even a little more out of place, serving as a reminder that he couldn't stay with them anymore. Not only was it improper, it wasn't appropriate. _Maybe I can move back in with Mother until classes start again... _but his mouth was filled with a bitter taste. He left for school and didn't really look back. Before school, however, the time not spent learning his father's trade was filled by empty-headed girls chosen by his mother for him. He enjoyed working and learning at the firm, and his father was a good, albeit stoic man. His mother's endless parade was what ended up driving him out. It wasn't that he was bothered by the girls or even his mother's persistence, it was her obvious lack of caring for his interests that irritated him. Enjolras sometimes received and responded to letters from her, especially around the holidays. Every letter contained an inquiry about his romantic escapades.

Though, he somewhat regretted not being there in person. Especially after missing his father's recent passing. _God rest his soul._

Enjolras ran his hand through his hair out of frustration. He rose and shuffled his coat on. Evelyn saw the blur of motion out of the corner of her eye and looked to him. "Where are you going?" she asked, curious.

"I'm going for a walk. I'll be back for supper," he stated and strode purposefully out the flat.

...

Enjolras walked with his hands jammed in his pockets across the _pont du Notre Dame_. He wished had chosen another bridge, but still it served as an unfortunate springboard for his other thoughts.

The swirling Seine brought back unwelcome memories. He shook his head, ashamed of his own cowardice.

The heels of his boots clicked rhythmically against the stone, drumming the beat to his thoughts. _I need to get Rene into school, find a place of my own, deal with this Evelyn business, go back to school, and write more essays. Alright. _

_..._

Enjolras passed the foreman of the apartment building with a polite nod.

"Ah, _Monsieur,_" he said, trying to get Enjolras's attention.

"Yes," Enjolras replied.

"You left a letter here," the foreman said with a cordial smile, handing the mail to Enjolras with a gloved hand.

"_Merci_," Enjolras said and bounded up the steps to the flat.

Enjolras had his head down, reading the letters. On the landing of his floor, he was almost knocked over by two men carrying a large sofa out of the only other apartment that Enjolras shared the floor with.

"Pardon," he said, though slightly distracted. His curiosity was piqued.

"Are you moving out?" he asked the men.

"Yeah. Folks are in there," he gestured with his head inside the flat.

"_Merci,_" Enjolras said as he entered nearly-empty apartment. He rapped on the door frame, trying to alert the former residents of his impromptu visitation. Enjolras had bumped into the man and his family a few times, but only when passing each other in the halls.

"_Bonjour!" _the man grinned as he sauntered to the door. He was wearing traveling clothes and donned a few days's worth of stubble. "What can I do for you?"

Enjolras cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back. "Pardon me, but are you moving out?"

The man was slightly taken aback, but smiled nonetheless. "Yes. Why do you ask?"

"I need another apartment. And I was hoping yours was not re-leased already."

"Not that I know of. But you better check with the foreman downstairs. For now, though," the man fished in his pockets for keys. When he finally found them, he tossed them to Enjolras. "Have these. I don't think my lease is up, technically, for another few days."

Enjolras nodded with a polite smile and turned on his heel. The man fidgeted. "Wait!" he said, gaining Enjolras's attention, "Do you already have furniture? To put in the place?"

Enjolras crinkled his brow, slightly puzzled as to why he was being interrogated. "No," he said.

The old man offered a wary smile. "I have three beds there. And other furnishings as well..." The suspicion didn't leave the young man's face. "It will cost a lot to move it. And I don't need it anymore. So if you want it..."

Enjolras nearly smacked himself on the forehead. _Of course. I should take it. Three beds is perfect. One for Evelyn, Rene, and Caroline. _"Yes, of course," he said.

"Perfect. I'll be on my way then," Enjolras's former neighbor picked up his luggage and strode past Enjolras, speaking to the men helping him move on his way out. Enjolras bounced the keys up and down in his hand, the other jammed into his pocket.

...

Evelyn flipped the sizzling ham steak over in the pan. The aroma of brown sugar and honey filled the kitchen, tantalizing Rene. Lately, especially after he had moved in with Evelyn, he couldn't have enough to eat of anything.

As she cooked, Evelyn thought of solutions to the problem that was their rooming situation. Enjolras couldn't stay on their, well his, floor forever.

_And what about Rene?_ _Now that we're out of the slums he should go to school. And Caroline? She could stay with me. Though I'm going to be at work all day... _She sighed and saved the thoughts for another day.

Evelyn slid the ham steak onto a platter and placed it on the wood dining table. Rene had grabbed a plate from the cupboard and eagerly sat with a fork in one hand and a knife in the other.

"Caroline!" she called, setting a place for her and her little sister. Caroline literally skipped over to the table, brushing the over-grown hair out of her eyes. She sat in the chair and re arranged her dress, pulling at the faded pink fabric.

The front door opened with a click and Enjolras entered their abode, jangling something in his hand. Evelyn locked eye contact with him and he threw the object at her. When Evelyn caught it, she realized they were keys. Two keys, to be exact. One was a tarnished pewter color and the other brass. _Maybe they're the keys to here? _Evelyn thought. Enjolras answered her.

"There's an open apartment right next door. It's the perfect size for you all. The previous tenant left all his furniture, so that's there too. He just left today, so you can move in whenever," Enjolras said, obviously pleased with himself. A small smile graced his face.

The first thought that entered Evelyn's head was: _I can't pay for that._ Then it hit her. "Julien there is _no way _I'm letting you rent that apartment-"

"I insist-"

"I don't care what you insist!" Evelyn's eyes fell on Rene and Caroline, who sat stiffly in their chairs as they tried to brace themselves for the coming argument. Evelyn sighed. "We can discuss this later, but _not_ in front of the children"

Enjolras gave a curt nod in agreement and sat in one of the dining chairs.

Evelyn placed the keys on the counter and headed over to the table to eat supper with the rest of them.

_..._

Evelyn turned her face upward to the stars. After dinner, Evelyn and Enjolras had agreed to discuss the flat outside.

"You need it, Evelyn," Enjolras said. Evelyn sighed. "I have _no _problem whatsoever paying for it."

"I know _you _don't have a problem with it," Evelyn replied with her arms crossed, "and I am am very grateful for that, but _I _have a problem with it. How do you think I will ever be able to pay you back for this?"

"You don't have to."

"Yes. I do."

"Just put down as much as you can."

Evelyn scowled.

"I have an idea," Enjolras stated. Evelyn looked at him, hopeful that it was a legitimate one. "I can't make myself a meal for anything, so how about we just keep eating together? I get food, you don't have to feel indebted to me, and we both are in good company."

A smile crept onto Evelyn's face. "I would like that," she said.

"Then it's settled. And, please don't think I'm trying to evict you, just I thought you would like a place of your own-"

"I would think nothing of the sort," Evelyn said.

Evelyn gave herself the chance to breathe. The late evening light cast a blue tint onto everything and the first star had appeared in the indigo sky. Enjolras looked at Evelyn, who wore a content expression. Enjolras noticed that her whole physical demeanor had shifted since the ending of their conversation: her shoulders looked more relaxed, her hands swung slightly at her sides, and most perfect little smile graced her lips. He was almost sad not to be in the same flat with her anymore.

...

After dinner, Evelyn broke the news to the children. Rene went down on his knees and lifted his hands in the air saying "I know there is a God!" Caroline twirled in circles.

Enjolras watched their childish glee and a little smile grew on his face. As an only son of an haute-bourgeois, this type of fun wasn't much encouraged.

"Come on!" Evelyn said, smiling herself. She had one foot out the door already. Rene and Caroline ran past her and into the hallway, yelling and whooping. Evelyn's gaze lingered on Enjolras before she shut the door.

**A/N: HOLY CRAP YOU GUYS. CHAPTER 20. Sorry it's kind of a boring/short chapter. Let me know what you think of all these new plot lines! Lord knows they're hell to keep track of :)**


	21. Changing

_Chapter 21  
~Change~_

Evelyn jiggled the key in the brass doorknob, Rene and Caroline making little bunny hops out of excitement behind her.

She slowly pushed open the door, and revealed an exquisite (at least to them) apartment.

In the foyer, pale yellow walls led up to cream colored, floral moulding. A mahogany chest of drawers sat to the left on the wall next to a coat hanger. The three of them dazedly crossed the parquet floor into the parlor.

The parlor walls were painted gold, and more intricate moulding ran along the edges. A gold chandelier with 12 or so candles dangled in the center, illuminating the sky-blue upholstered couch and chairs. A coffee table sat in the center of the seating with a silver tea tray on it. White silk curtains draped over the windows.

The next room was a dining room. A rectangular, mahogany table filled up most of it. Burgundy wallpaper lined the room, and several glass front cabinets waited to be filled with china.

The trio moved into the kitchen, which was simple but still beautifully crafted.

Behind the kitchen was the bathroom, which was a dead end. They walked back into the foyer and went right this time, which was where a hallway with three doors stretched back. Each person chose a door and excitedly opened it, thrilled and amazed that they might possibly have their own bedrooms.

Evelyn met with a black and white themed room which, since it was fairly large, she assumed was the master suite. An ebony armoire stood tall on the left wall, next to a desk. Directly in front of her was a window with a balcony. On the right wall, a king sized, four-post bed rested with thin, white curtains. The bedding had a black and white floral pattern, multitudes of fluffy pillows piled on top of the thick mattress. She stepped onto the circular rug in the center, peeking around. Past the bed was a door. Curious, she walked towards it.

She tried to turn the doorknob. Locked. She looked at the lock plate and saw it was the same pewter as the second key that Enjolras had given her. Evelyn stuck the key in and turned it. Sure enough, it opened.

It was a circular room. Everything was cream-hued. Mirrors paneled the walls. A chaise sat in the center, and a massive vanity was propped against one of the walls. A closet waited to be filled with dresses and coats. An empty shoe rack sat next to it. Daylight streamed through a window, illuminating everything. Evelyn couldn't help but break out in a smile.

She ran her fingertips along the top of the vanity. When she picked them up they had a fine coat of dust on them.

...

Caroline shyly peeked from behind the door. Her eyes met pink and white toile wallpaper, and immediately she felt lightheaded. She ran and pulled Evelyn out of her room so she could look at everything with her. Holding hands, Caroline led Evelyn into her new bedroom.

A twin bed with pink and white bedding was on the opposite wall, windows letting in sun. Various pieces of white furniture and toys were scattered around the room. Caroline squealed and crouched next to the doll house.

Evelyn opened the armoire, just to look inside. She thought it strange that dresses for a little girl were still hanging in it.

...

Rene opened the door so forcefully that it hit the back wall. Natural light streamed in from the arched windows. Built in bookcases lined the opposite wall. A mahogany bed was on the left wall, and a study desk was on the right. A matching chest of drawers and an upholstered reading chair was also in the room. The walls were painted an evergreen color.

"YES!" Rene yelled and ran around the room, running his fingers along every surface.

He couldn't believe it. This was his room. _His _room.

He opened up the chest of drawers, just poking around like boys do. Rene was surprised to see all the clothing still neatly folded in it.

...

Evelyn ran into Rene's room. She couldn't wipe the stupid grin off her face. Rene went to her and hugged her. This was _perfect_. He was back with his sister, away from Pere, in a sparkling new home, possibly going to school- Rene couldn't keep track of the happy thoughts floating around.

Evelyn held him tighter. Did Julien have any idea what this meant for them?

...

Enjolras tapped absentmindedly on the dining room table. The apartment was now strangely quiet. A faint scream filtered through the walls.

In good reason, Enjolras was concerned and walked over to the other apartment. The door was still open. _Strange_, he thought, brows furrowed.

He stepped inside. Enjolras could hear the three of them, chatting excitedly. He knocked on the door frame.

He heard footsteps from the hallway to the right, and Evelyn poked her head out from the side.

As soon as her eyes met him, she let out a scream. It was an excited one, but still startling nonetheless. Enjolras jumped a little bit, but was firmly pulled back to the ground.

Evelyn had wrapped her arms around him in a tight, thank-you hug. Caroline, having come out to find Evelyn, followed suit and hugged Enjolras too.

Enjolras finding this more awkward than anything, was relieved when Rene only wanted a hand shake.

Caroline and Rene left back to their rooms, leaving Enjolras and Evelyn to themselves.

"Let me show you around!" Evelyn said with smile. She showed him the parlor, then the kitchen, then the dining room, exuberantly pointing out little details. In all honesty, the apartment wasn't as decadent as Evelyn made it out to be. It was mildly amusing that she would get this excited over a (no doubt nice, but middle class) apartment.

"You know what's strange?" she said, as they crossed into the dining room. "Except for mine, the bedrooms are intact. Personal belongings and everything."

Enjolras looked at her from the chair, brow furrowed in the familiar fashion, "What do you mean?"

Evelyn took a seat and rolled her eyes, "I _mean_, all the clothing is left. The person who stayed in Caroline's room left all her toys. And in Rene's room, all the books and papers are left behind. The sheets are fresh, though."

"Strange," said Enjolras, not really concerned.

"I don't understand why a family would just leave like that."

"It wasn't a family. It was one man," Enjolras said. He provided a description: "Middle aged, shorter..." Evelyn stared at him blankly.

"I'm assuming he had a family at one point, otherwise why would there be all this stuff here."

"He said he didn't need it anymore, as he was leaving."

"That doesn't make any sense. If they were moving, wouldn't they take all their clothes and toys and letters with them."

"Maybe they weren't moving." Enjolras's expression darkened. "Cholera is making it's rounds. I wouldn't be surprised if..."

"_Mon Dieu_." Evelyn flopped her head in her hands.

"I have to talk to the foreman tomorrow anyways. I'll ask him if he knows anything else."

Evelyn nodded solemnly. She had gone from expecting disease and death (though never quite accepting it) to nearly forgetting about it, thanks to the few weeks of the pampered life.

...

Evelyn thumbed through the soft paper of a copy of _Romeo and Juliet_. The grandfather clock ticked each and every second in the background. She chewed on her pinky nail. One of her co-workers shuffled books around in the shelving.

It was Saturday, June 30th, 10:28 AM.

Two minutes before midday break.

Thirty two minutes before the interview.

She quietly slipped her letter of resignation on the counter so that her boss could find it later.

When the clock struck 10:30, Evelyn nearly ran out of the book store.

Fifteen minutes later, she entered into the sixteenth arrondissement. Evelyn pulled the wadded up letter with the Laurent's address on it from her skirt pocket with shaking hands. She tucked back the little pieces of hair that had fallen out of her french braid and onto her face behind her ear.

_Why are you nervous? There's no reason to be nervous_, she told herself,_ Remember what you practiced. Bonjour madame, I'm Evelyn. You sent for me so we can discuss employment?_

She rounded the corner to the Laurent's block. _Am I early? Dammit I think I'm early... It's alright, it's alright Evelyn. Just wait until the bells go off. Then knock. Just walk slower._

Evelyn slowed her swift pace to a slow meander, which only made the time pass slower.

Just as the church bells chimed eleven, she reached the front door. She smoothed over her skirt and re-tucked in her shirt.

Drawing a deep breath, she knocked on the heavy oak door. Evelyn shifted her weight from one foot to the other, trying to loosen up. The door swung open.

Inside, was a young man. He had brown curly hair and was dressed like the dandy she expected to be living there. He held a half-eaten apple in the hand that wasn't on the door frame.

She spoke first. "Hello, I'm Evelyn-"

"Oh right. You're the new maid. Mother told me you would be coming." He gestured for Evelyn to go inside. "She's gone. Family emergency. So she left me to it."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Evelyn said. "Should I just come back another time?" (Though that would said mainly out of courtesy. She needed the job and she needed it _now._)

"No, not at all. I'm Adam," Adam brought up Evelyn's hand and kissed it softly with a sideways glance and charming smile that only practiced courtiers hold.

Evelyn cleared her throat. She was here for a job. Not a date.

Adam brought his head back up with a slightly discouraged expression, but slyly smiling nonetheless.

"Right, so here are your clothes," Adam pulled a hanger off the top of the closet door in the foyer and handed them to Evelyn. "Get to work, I guess," he said with a shrug.

She took the black and white ensemble and went into the nearest bathroom, shutting the door with a soft click. Evelyn undid her buttons, and let her dress fall to the floor. Then the underskirt. Then she put on the maid's uniform.

It was ugly. It was too big and had stains on the white apron. She frowned and tied the waist of the apron as tight as she could.

Evelyn hung her regular clothes on the hanger that previously held the uniform and stuffed it in the nearest closet.

Unsure as what to do next, she looked blankly at Adam, who looked blankly back at her. Evelyn spoke up. "So what do you want me to do?" She said this with insincere interest and excitement.

"I don't know. I think there's more maids in the downstairs kitchen, if you want to talk to them."

"Alright, thank you," she said with a polite smile and headed towards the faint sounds of plates and silverware clinking.

About twenty seconds later, she strolled into a black and white tiled kitchen. Pots were steaming, cabinets were being opened and closed, and many employees were hustling about. Evelyn knocked on the door frame to gain everybody's attention.

A woman in her mid twenties carrying a wash tub noticed Evelyn first. She gave a warm smile and said, "You must be the new girl! Come on now, you can help we me with the laundry." Her voice had a sing song quality to it.

Evelyn followed her into the maid's quarters, which was an empty save for more washing supplies and a basket of clothing which Evelyn assumed they would be washing. The other girl got on her knees in front of the wash tub and rolled up her sleeves, motioning for Evelyn to do the same. Sitting across from her on the tub, she got a good look at her.

The apples of her cheeks had a natural blush to them, and honey-blonde curls poked out from under her hat. She wore a constant pleasant expression, down to the faint eye-crinkles from smiling so much.

"I'm Marie, by the way," she said, her eyes planted on the task at hand.

"Evelyn." Marie pulled a shirt from the basket and dunked it into the soapy water.

"Can you grab the washboard please?" Marie gestured to it and brushed back her hair with her upper arm, keeping her soapy hands away from her face. Evelyn scooted over to it and brought it to Marie, then picked out a shirt of her own, following Marie's lead.

**AN: sorry for the shit writing. I've had a shitty/uninspired past few weeks so I hope it wasn't too boring. My problem is that there's major plot development *HEM* in a few chapters and I'm dying to get to it so I can't think of anything to put in between now and then and AGH. WRITER'S ANGST. Maybe I'll throw in a bonus chapter in the next few days because I have more that belongs in this little section/scene and idk man. Just realized that there's only one snippet from Enjolras's pov so that's not good. Sorry for the ramblings, guys. Just been extremely meh for a while and it's affecting my writing which makes me feel more meh. **


	22. Flashback

**AN: so this is a flashback, stolen from a few chapters of ****_Evelyn. _****It's from Evelyn's pov, and idk I thought it was interesting. Slightly ashamed that I might have laughed at my own writing a few times (In my defense I write a while before hand so I forget what I have written a lot). I guess she could have been remembering things while at work, or something? **

June 4th, 1832

"Evelyn!" I turned towards the voice. It was Combeferre. He was standing with Enjolras and another man in a vibrant orange waistcoat at the big oak table in the middle of the cafe.

I shoved my way through the crowd towards them. "Anything I can do for you, _monsieurs_?"

"Do you know how to sew?" asked Combeferre, holding up a mass of red fabric.

Before I could answer, Enjolras cut me off. "_Somebody_," he glared at the man in the orange coat, "had an accident."

Normally I would have to stifle a giggle, but Enjolras could be _damn_ intimidating. "Yes, I can. I'm assuming you want me to fix the flag."

"Yes. That would be wonderful," Combeffere said with his trademark warm smile, handing me the fabric and some needle and thread. It was surprisingly heavy.

I shoved some papers and candles from the table, clearing a little area for me to work.

As I spread out the fabric on the table, it seemed to never end. I kept clearing and clearing more space, irritating more and more people, but they soon realized that this was Enjolras's precious flag.

When it was fully unfolded, I realized it was four two foot by four foot swatches. I sighed and threaded the needle.

I bent over at the waist so I could sew close to my face. About halfway through sewing the first two crimson pieces together, I heard a voice in my right ear.

"How's it coming along?"

"Jesus Christ!" I yelped, nearly jumping out of my own skin. I looked to see who the culprit was. It was Enjolras. "What was that?" I yelled at him. The surprise had sent of a fight or flight reaction, and now my heart was racing. He looked a little surprised as well.

"I'm just checking on the flag. It's an important part of the revolution!"

"Did you have to sneak up on me like that?" I asked, not expecting an answer.

"I am sorry, _mademoiselle_." I ignored him and returned to the flag, doubling my efforts now that I knew he was watching me. I was hoping he would leave, but he kept hovering.

"Do you have to stand there?" I said, standing up straight.

Enjolras gave a curt nod and turned on his heel, venturing off somewhere, probably to write a new speech or something.

_Tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day_, I thought. My body tingled with excitement. I was unafraid to the point of being reckless. I guess that was because I thought I had nothing to live for besides the _ABC. _I was poor, lonely, and desperate. I was desperate to live a life _worth_ living. At least I had Eponine, which was probably the main reason I hadn't offed myself by then. But as of late, she had been so _obsessed _with this Marius, that I didn't even see her that much anymore. And when I did see her, it was all about Marius.

I finished the flag later than I expected, so by the time I was done most of the _Ami_'s had gone. I gathered up the fabric in a big wad and carried it over to Enjolras, who I handed it to with a perky smile. I felt kind of guilty for snapping at him earlier, and I didn't need to give him any more reasons to throw me out. But that was as much of an apology as he was getting.

Suddenly, Courf came up from behind me. He grabbed me by the waist and turned me around to face him. His elfish face was lit up, and his black curls bobbed about. He picked up my left hand in his and held it up to shoulder height.

"Do you know how to dance?" he asked.

"No," I said, pulling my hands down from his. I had learned a few steps in the hell-days and was hesitant to relive them, if I could even remember them in the first place. Courf was undiscouraged.

"C'mon, I'll show you," he pleaded.

"No, Courf." His face fell slightly. He poked out his lower lip and made his eyes wide. "Why do you wanna dance with silly me anyways?" I said, teasing.

"Because anybody who can stand up to Enjolras over there," he gestured grandly and spoke up so that Enjolras could hear him, "I can appreciate." I pushed on his shoulder playfully and smiled. God, I really loved _les Amis_.

"I heard that!" Enjolras shouted from his chair.

I rolled my eyes in his direction and Courf started laughing. I still stared at Enjolras though. There was something about him that I found wildly attractive. Maybe it was the passion? I don't know. I tried to refocus on talking to Courf, but of course my mind took me somewhere else: _If he falls in love with you, you'd be the poor pauper who turns into the Cinderella at the ball! _

Which I knew was ridiculous, but, hey, a girl can dream.

After abandoning my post as Courf's attempted dance partner, I ambled to the main table. Grantaire sat, or more like swayed, in his chair, holding a bottle of wine. He looked typically unkempt and wore a leering smile. I pulled out a chair and sat next to him, acting solely on the principal of "why the hell not?"

"How ya doin' princess?" he said, leaning towards me. I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Pretty well. We're going to be fighting for our lives tomorrow so," I shrugged and stole the bottle from his hand and raised it into the air, "VIVE LE FRANCE!" I took a heavy swig of the stuff and it unpleasantly burned its way down my throat. I couldn't remember the last time I had alcohol, in fact. And it wasn't really doing it for me. Most of _les Amis_ heard the "vive le France" part and lifted their bottles and yelled various agreeing phrases. This kickstarted a swell of energy amongst the cafe, and ever man leapt to do some form of busy work.

I gave Grantaire a smug smile and took another sip before handing it back to him. "You know how to work a crowd, darlin'" he slurred.

"Damn right, I do. You how much _charm _it takes to beg for a coin? _A lot_." I kept taking drink after drink, and soon the world was fuzzy and spinning. Is this how Grantaire feels all the time? No wonder he never did anything.

"You're a beggar huh? Tell me 'bout yourself," Grantaire said.

"I'm not a beggar," I broke down into maniacal laughter, "I'm a chooser."

"That doesn't even make sense," Grantaire said and laughed with me.

"Neither does my life!"

"Really?"

"Really."

"How so?"

"Well. I'm a poor beggar girl who will surely die alone of some horrible plague within the next five years." I said as I mock toasted to my life with an eyebrow quirked.

Candle light made flickering shadows dance around me, and I was too disoriented to notice Enjolras's shadow looming in front of me. He pulled the bottle out of my hand and a little-too-forcefully placed on the table.

"That's enough," he said, sternly.

"Aw, that's not fair, Apollo. Princess and me were just having fun, that's all!" Grantaire waved the bottle up in the air as if to exhibit the fun that we were having.

"Grantaire, put that bottle down!" Enjolras said. He put a hand on my waist and on my upper arm and practically dragged me out of the chair.

"Enjolras-" I whined, dragging my feet behind me.

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"You're no fun." I said. I caught Grantaire's eye as the crowd absorbed me and Enjolras. "VIVE LE FRANCE!" I shouted once again, thrusting my fist in the air.

"VIVE LE FRANCE!" the other _Ami_'s called back.

Enjolras dragged me over to Eponine. I hiccuped every few steps and stumbled along, giggling. Enjolras, naturally, was fuming.

"Here," he stated handing me over to the rather surprised gamine. I fell into 'Ponine's arms and leaned on her, laughing.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked under her breath, referring to me.

"She was... um... having fun with Grantaire," he stuttered out. I swear his ears grew a little pink, though I couldn't place why.

Eponine's eyes widened in shock, taking the euphemism for its naughtier connotation.

Enjolras quickly dispelled this notion. "No no no, I mean, they were drinking and causing a disturbance. It wasn't anything..."

"Unclean," Eponine supplied, knowing that the saintly Enjolras would have trouble with such implications. She tightened her grip around me, propping me up.

Enjolras nodded and walked away, his coat streaking plum on the spinning mess that was the cafe.

Eponine turned to me and sat me down on the floor. She looked concerned. "Listen, Evelyn, I'm not leaving Marius. We don't have much time left together, so I can't take you home," she rooted around our vicinity for a cup of water and handed me one when she found it, "Drink this and tuck yourself away. I know you're going to be alright. You've got your wits about you." She jokingly punched me on the shoulder, as we always did to each other. I just smiled, blissful. She grinned reassuringly and said "alright" and was gone, bounding off to her unrequited lover.

I was alone and drunk off my ass. I pretty much crawled down the steps, no doubt embarrassing myself. To be fair, I didn't think that I would make it too far into the near future.

I curled up into a little ball underneath the stairs, trying to ride the carousel from hell out. The cafe owner took one look at me, clucked her tongue, and continued drying glasses.

I squeezed my eyes shut and eventually fell asleep. I woke up a few hours (I think) later to someone stomping down the staircase. Most of the _Ami_'s had left by then, so the noise had severely decreased. I'm guessing only a few were left up there.

Anyways, said stomper heard my head/stomach ache induced moans and poked his head under the steps. It was Joly.

I squinted my eyes. The spinning had mostly stopped, and now I just felt nauseous. Like _really _nauseous. I just groaned when I saw him, because I'm sure my physical appearance was enough to make him think I was dead, and I wanted to reassure him that, in fact, I was not.

He slid his hand down the banister, creating a high-pitched squeaking noise that made me physically cringe. Joly stooped down next to me and put a forehead on my hand. I groaned in resistance.

"I feel sick..." I whined, clutching my stomach. Joly actually fell backwards with a horrified expression on his face. I would've laughed if I wasn't in so much pain. A smirk worked it's way onto my face. "Don't worry... It's not... Just too much to drink," I spit out. He accepted this and put his hand back on my forehead.

"You're right. There's no fever," he said, helping me up gently.

I smiled at the realization that I had fallen asleep under some stairs in a cafe with a bunch of students. _That's _ how much I trusted them. If I had done that back at the slums all kinds of nasty things would have happened to me.

I loved _Les Amis_, I truly did. Do, even. I miss them. I miss them more than I let on.

**And ****_scene_****. I hope this sort of clears up any questions of Evelyn's opinions on the boys a bit. As always, review and chapter this Friday!**


	23. Dinner Party

_Chapter 22  
~Dinner Party~_

He checked the time. 2:00. Evelyn had mentioned earlier that she wouldn't be home for lunch today. Unfortunately, as adept he was at nearly everything else, Enjolras was utterly helpless when it came to food. So he went to a cafe, and went to the library from there.

Enjolras gathered the books he wanted in his arms and carried them over to the check out counter. The librarian eyed him as he signed, as Enjolras had a reputation for returning the books very overdue. Also because the young man was somewhat notorious now.

Enjolras thanked him with a curt nod and scooped them up.

...

Evelyn quietly opened the door to her apartment with one hand, the other holding her uniform. _Merde. Where am I even going to hide this? God, this was such a bad idea, _she thought.

Luckily, nobody was in the apartment yet. Which Evelyn thought odd, because it was already seven.

She hid the uniform in her boudoir, then sighed heavily as she lay down on her bed. Evelyn had spent the day scrubbing and washing and dusting then scrubbing again. At least Marie kept her company and vice versa.

Evelyn groaned as she realized that she still had to alter Rene and Caroline's new clothing (both were for children older, especially Rene's) and make dinner.

She slid off her bed, landing on the floor with a thunk. Evelyn picked herself up and dragged herself over to the kitchen, putting a pot of water on. _How do I explain the new hours to Julien? I can't just say the times at the book shop changed because I'll have all this new income._ Her eyes landed on one of the dresses that she was fixing for Caroline, the sewing basket still on the table. _Ah ha! I can say I work at a factory. Those usually have longer hours, I think. Longer hours would explain the pay, anyways. _

Evelyn heard Caroline's unmistakeable shrill laughter through the walls. Which could only mean that they were at Enjolras's apartment.

She turned off the stove and headed to the source of the giggling.

...

Enjolras fake-groaned as he lifted Caroline and tossed her on his bed. A wide smile was cracked on his face. Rene sat in the corner, thumbing through

"Again!" Caroline squealed as she slid off the bed and back towards Enjolras. A knock at the door interrupted them.

"Quick! Hide!" he said to Caroline, ushering her behind the sheer curtain, his grin never fading. Rene just kept reading with a smirk on his face.

Enjolras opened the door, one hand hand on his hip. Evelyn stood in the doorway, a slightly concerned expression on her face.

"Hey!" Enjolras said friendly.

"Hi..." Evelyn trailed, distracted by the swishing in the curtain. "Is that Caroline?"

"Nope. No idea what you're talking about." Enjolras motioned for Evelyn to come inside.

Evelyn saw Rene quietly reading in the corner. She was perplexed by all this. First, Enjolras likes children and then Rene isn't making some snarky remark at him?

"Boo!" Caroline popped out from behind the curtain, the most pleased smile on her face.

"You never struck me as a kid-person, Julien" Evelyn said, a sideways smile on her face.

"He's not," said Rene. He put his book down and his hands on his knees. "He tried to talk about the various forms of democracy for half an hour until I just gave up and read. Caroline, however, made a deal that if she listened Enjolras would have to play with her until you showed up."

"Ah. I see," Evelyn said, laughing as she went to leave. "Well, dinner'll be ready in twenty minutes or so."

"Alright. See you then," Enjolras waved his hand bye as Caroline skipped into his arms.

...

July 2nd

Evelyn swirled her glass of wine absently at the dinner table. Opposite her sat Marius. Which, needless to say, was mildly off putting. Evelyn could tell he was walking on eggshells tonight, especially around her or when she came up in conversation.

Evelyn was beginning to change her opinion of him. Throughout the night he had proven himself to be a blundering ignorant. So Evelyn chalked most of the blame from the whole Eponine situation to his idiocy, and not bad intent.

At least Cosette was nice. Now that Evelyn had the chance to meet her under better circumstances, she found that Cosette was a few things: shy (but fun in nature), sweet, and hopelessly in love.

Evelyn may have subconsciously been envious of this.

Her shyness was made apparent especially during the first hour or so at Joly's. Only meeting Marius a month ago, Cosette hadn't even had the chance to meet Musichetta.

"Alright, men," Joly said as he stood up, "To the study. Ladies, feel free to do as you please. The house is yours." Simultaneously, Marius and Enjolras stood up. As they walked out, Marius planted a kiss on Cosettes cheek, as did Joly to Musichetta. Enjolras just awkwardly made a what he thought to be inconspicuous glance at Evelyn, his lips pressed in a line.

...

As soon as the boys left the dining room, Musichetta turned to Evelyn, slamming her hand on the table. "I saw that," a smirk on her face.

"What?" Evelyn said, genuinely confused.

"The way he looked at you!" Musi said, excited. Now Cosette was interested, because she (of course) had also seen it.

"Musi..." Evelyn said, warning her not to start _another _conversation of how their love would "blossom like the gardens of Versailles in spring" and how she would not miss "the romantic spectacle worthy of the Paris opera house"

...

As soon as Joly shut the door to the study, Marius confronted Enjolras.

"I know what's going on," Marius said, settling on the leather sofa.

"We both know, actually," Joly said as he moved over the the glass of whiskey on a little side table.

"And what do you both know?" Enjolras said slowly, confused.

"That you fancy her!" Marius said, a hint of exasperation in his voice. Enjolras could be a real idiot sometimes. Really, did he think sideways glances were the way to woo a lady?

"I do not-" Enjolras started.

"Yes, you do." Joly interrupted, pouring a glass for himself and Marius.

Marius chimed in next, "I have never seen you look at a girl like that before. Ever."

"Is that so," Enjolras said sarcastically.

Marius went down on his knees and clasped Enjolras's hand. This made Enjolras uncomfortable. "I beseech you, Enjolras, act on it before she grows to hate you!"

"What is that supposed to-"

"What he's trying to say is that she may have an interest at you, and you should probably try courting her before she _isn't_ interested."

Enjolras's heart raced at the mention that Evelyn could possibly be interested in him. "How would you know that?" he said.

Marius went back to his seat, "Well, she glances at you, too, sometimes. She's not as blatantly obvious about it-"

"Hey!" Enjolras said, trying to defend himself.

"We're trying to help you," Joly said. "With the right coaching, you can do it! Just look at us!" Joly said, motioning to himself and Marius. Marius nodded and smiled in agreement.

...

"Really!" Musi nearly shouted.

"You realize you're basing everything off _glances_, right?" Evelyn confirmed, trying to point out to her over-zealous friend how stupid she was being.

"_Meaningful _glances," Cosette corrected.

"You do like him, don't you?" Musi asked, almost rhetorically.

Evelyn gave a noncommittal shrug.

"Oh come on!" Cosette said, "How can you not?"

Evelyn sighed and inspected her glass.

"Wait, you do actually like him, right?" Musi said, a hit of worry in her voice.

Evelyn just sighed again, this time playing it up just to tease her friends.

"Evelyn..." Musichetta threatened, "Fine. No chocolate cake for dessert for you, I guess."

"Alright!" Evelyn cracked. "I guess I'm interested in him," she mumbled. Musichetta squealed and clapped.

...

"Who said I even liked her to begin with!" Enjolras protested, throwing his hands up.

Joly and Marius locked eyes and both broke down into laughter for a few moments. Suddenly, Marius went deadpan and looked at Enjolras, "You do. Don't deny it. Because you do."

Enjolras gave up and placed his elbow on the arm of the sofa, the leather squeaking as the fabric from his jacket rubbed up against it. He sighed in resignation.

"Enjolras, I know you fancy her," Marius said.

Enjolras just looked up, keeping the same uninterested face.

"Why wouldn't you?" Joly asked rhetorically.

Enjolras blinked slowly.

"Enjolras..." Marius warned. Still, Enjolras kept silent. "Fine. I guess I wont proofread any of your essays ever again."

"Remind me of the last time you actually did that?" Enjolras said, aware of the fact that he hadn't had the bonapartist lay eyes on anything in more than a few months.

"Regardless," Joly dismissed it with a wave of his hand, "Why not make a move on her? The worst that can happen is that she shuts you down." Enjolras looked down at his lap, avoiding the answer.

"Hold on," Marius ventured, "you've never been with a woman... This is the one area you know nothing about! You're afraid!" Marius burst into laughter. Joly smirked a bit, knowing full well that only Marius could point out faults like this to Enjolras.

"I am not!" Enjolras retorted.

"Then why not do something? Tonight." Joly said, a sly smile growing on his face. Enjolras sputtered.

...

"It's complicated, though!" Evelyn whined. A proper courtship of someone of such status as the man in question would be nearly impossible, let alone socially accepted. Evelyn worried less about the social acceptance part, as Enjolras had already tried to start a revolution.

"How so?" asked Cosette, genuinely curious. Evelyn groaned, not wanting to explain it all.

"Well, lets just say I went through some familial discourse and now he's paying for the apartment that me and my siblings stay in, which is next door to his."

"How romantic!" Musichetta shouted. Evelyn just scowled at the reminder of how dependent she was.

"You have siblings?" Cosette asked, sipping her glass of wine.

"Two. Rene, who's 14. And Caroline, who's 8," answered, now slumped over on the table, absently picking at the white table cloth.

"Learn something new everyday," Cosette said with a small smile.

Out of the blue, Musi went "Oooh!" and jumped out of her seat. Cosette and Evelyn shared curious glances. "Desert!" Musi shouted as she nearly ran into the kitchen.

...

"Shut up! I'm not kissing her! Things just aren't that simple," Enjolras protested, growing frustrated with his friends.

"Enjolras, it's a kiss. How hard can it be?" Marius said with a hint of sarcasm.

"It's not the actual kiss, it's the repercussions. I mostly pay for the apartment she and her siblings are in, and it's right next door to mine. I go over there for food. If she rejects me, there's no way things wouldn't be strange after that," Enjolras said, exasperated.

"But she wont reject you. How could anybody resist the mighty Enjolras?" Marius said as he gritted his teeth and made a gesture of stereotypical manliness, then proceeded to crack up at his own joke.

Enjolras pinched the bridge of his nose. "I swear to God..." he said under his breath. Joly, naturally curious, asked, "Does she not have parents?"

"None that should be allowed to be around children," Enjolras said, feeling the anger bubble up inside him. He chose not to delve into detail.

"Ah," Joly said, "So I take it you wont be doing traditional courting? I'm sure you don't have a problem with that."

"I don't have a problem with it all," Enjolras said slowly, bringing his hands behind his head.

"You're going to get very strange looks, you know," Marius added, "Especially someone of your status-" Enjolras whipped around and glared at him, shutting him up immediately. Marius looked down, feeling the all-too-familiar awkwardness.

"Yeah, how is that going to work? You guys are going to the opera next Sunday, aren't you? I assume she doesn't have any close relatives, which is why she's staying with you. Who's going to be her chaperone?" Joly asked, bringing up valid points.

"Nobody, I guess," Enjolras said nonchalantly.

"Well, nobody can force you to do what you don't want to, Enjolras," Joly broke a sad smile, "We of all people know that."

The silence hung thick in the air.

A voice came from behind the door, muffled by distance. But the trill and inflections in it made it clear that it was Musichetta. "Boys! Dessert!" she called out.

...

Musi sauntered into the dining room with a silver platter. On it were six individual, small, golden cakes. On each little cake was a dollop of whipped cream, and a chocolate covered strawberry rested on that. Evelyn's mouth watered immediately.

"Musi, did you make those?" Evelyn exclaimed, surprised at her friend's culinary expertise.

"Oh, no," Musi laughed it off, "Amelie," she gestured towards the kitchen, "did."

Cosette plucked one off the tray and took a dainty bite. Her eyes grew wide as the flavors danced on her tongue. Evelyn tried one as well, and was not disappointed. "You have to give me the recipe!" she exclaimed. Musi went around the table, passing a cake out to each man.

The friends spent the rest of the evening chatting and laughing, enjoying each other's company. Joly and Marius both tried to make subtle hints to Evelyn that Enjolras either had something to say or do, but Enjolras just played dumb. When it came time to leave, it was filled with promises of meeting again and keeping in touch

...

The carriage jostled back and forth on the uneven cobble stone of Paris. Evelyn and Enjolras were nearly home. "I can tell you don't like Marius," Enjolras said, "You read like a book, you know."

"I do n-" Evelyn started. Upon some self reflection, she quickly realized he was right and stopped herself.

Enjolras tried to hide his smile by looking out the window.

"I can see you laughing at me," Evelyn said, teasing, a lopsided smile forming on her own lips.

"I would do nothing of the sort," Enjolras commented, a small smile still on his face.

...

At the end of the carriage ride, Enjolras walked Evelyn to her door.

"Goodnight," she said, resting on the doorframe. The kids were asleep, and she kept her voice low. Evelyn bit her lip ever so slightly

Enjolras hesitated for a moment before saying "Goodnight" back and turning on his heel.

Evelyn shut the door, slightly disappointed, but knowing that there would be many, many more opportunities.


	24. Opera House

_Chapter 23  
_~_Opera House~_

Enjolras forcefully crossed out his last sentence and sighed out of exasperation. This was his fifth draft of this week's essay.

"What's that?" Evelyn said as she slid a clear plate in front of him. He hadn't even noticed that she was setting the table.

"Nothing," Enjolras dismissed it, running a hand through his hair.

"I've never seen anyone so frustrated over nothing." He moved his hand to shove the sheets of paper and pen underneath the chair. But Evelyn intercepted him. Enjolras groaned, not wanting anyone to see his currently pitiful writing.

Evelyn pulled out a chair and sat in it, resting her head on her hand as she read. Enjolras twirled the pen in his hand.

Without a word Evelyn plucked the pen out and started writing on the paper. Enjolras just arched an eyebrow.

Evelyn quickly scanned the page for an idea of what he was writing about in the first place (the effect of the earlier generation's traditional fairy tales on the current generation's beliefs. _He must really be running out of things to write..._ Evelyn thought), then went back over to thoroughly edit.

Enjolras watched as she rewrote a word here, changed a sentence around there, all while incessantly tapping her other fingers on the table.

"Do you always sound so condescending?" Evelyn questioned, not looking up from the page. Enjolras reached across the table and tore the paper out from under her. He looked at the revisions, only slightly surprised that they actually helped.

"Does it actually sound condescending?" Enjolras murmured, a little embarrassed.

Evelyn felt a little sorry for him, so she tried to cover her tracks, "It's not that bad. And no, it's not on all your papers, either." Enjolras just nodded slightly and took out his pocket watch. Evelyn stood up and walked to the stove.

"6:30," he said, tucking the timepiece back in his vest pocket. "We have an hour," he stated, matter of factly.

"Wonderful. Let's see... Rene and Caroline should be back around then, so I'll just leave a note reminding them to keep the door locked while we're gone," Evelyn paced nervously around the kitchen. "And that they can heat up the soup for dinner and there's bread on the counter, do you think that's fine? I think that's fine," she rambled, rattling off each thought as it came to mind. "I don't know maybe I should tell them where the gun is..."

"That's not necessary," Enjolras interrupted. He turned in his chair to face her. "There's no doubt in my mind that they are totally and completely safe. We're not even gone overnight." Evelyn ladled the soup into both their bowls. Enjolras didn't realize how hungry he was until the aromas filled his senses.

"You're right," she groaned. Evelyn sunk into her chair and put her hands on her face and dragged them down, leaving a particularly unattractive expression on her face.

A smile cracked on Enjolras's face and he laughed a little. Evelyn giggled along with him.

...

"So you're going tonight?" Musi asked Joly, holding the lapels of his jacket.

"Yes, _cherie_," Joly said sweetly, gazing lovingly into his fiancee's eyes. "I'll be right up in the box with Enjolras and Evelyn." He kissed her on the lips and helped her into the carriage, which was taking her to the 6:45 call time.

"Don't forget! You're there to speed things along! You've already seen this thing four times!" Musi shouted from the window. Joly just smiled and waved, distracted already by his plotting.

...

Evelyn let her skirts fall to the floor, exposing her underclothes. She unbuttoned her shirt as she looked to the clock in the corner of the room. _Merde! 7:15 already? I still have to do my hair ! _She glanced at the simple braid it was in disdainfully. She undid the last button and threw it on the bed as she walked into the boudoir.

Leaning over the counter, she applied a small amount of rouge to her cheeks and lips, working faces in the mirror. She tried about five different "alluring" ones before sitting on the stool in a huff.

With nimble fingers she unraveled the plait and wound it back up into a topknot. She left the short parts at the front out and wound them around her finger, curling them slightly. She couldn't help but remember the glass chunk that section. Or the night before that.

It was a weight that Evelyn generally refused to acknowledge, preferring to pretend that it didn't exist.

She shoved the emotion back down with a hard swallow, watching herself in the mirror. Evelyn saw someone different. Instead of focusing on scrounging enough for food that night, she was occupied with boys. She let out a sarcastic scoff, then broke the intense stare she held with her image.

...

Enjolras tied, untied, then retied his cravat again, frowning in the little mirror inlayed on the inside panel of the armoire. He didn't care much for formal wear. _Especially_ the cravats. He aggressively undid the knot and the upper buttons of his shirt, frustrated. _What are you so worried about? There's no pressure to do anything. It's just the two of us, _he thought. He ran a hand through his hair as he impatiently turned his back to the mirror. Enjolras checked his watch. 7:25. _Time to pick the lady up... _Enjolras thought, feeling an inkling of hesitation, which wasn't really a common trait for him.

...

Evelyn had just slipped the dress onto her shoulders when a knock sounded at the door. _Merde!_ She shuffled over, leaning her shoulders a little bit back to keep the dress on. Evelyn slowly opened the door, hiding her body behind it. Not surprisingly, it was Enjolras. "Oh!" she said, "Is it time already?" She gestured for him to come inside, keeping her back to the wall. And in a split second, she made the decision. "Hey... can you lace me up?" It wasn't entirely unreasonable. It was unlikely she could reach her back in this dress anyways.

Enjolras's eyes went a little wide. He could feel the all-too-familiar burning sensation at the tips of his ears. _What's the appropriate answer to this? Is there an appropriate answer to this? Can I even say no? Is this even considered acceptable?_ he thought, when thoughts finally began to connect.

"Uh.. yes?" he said slowly, walking over towards her. Evelyn turned her back to him, a very small smile creeping onto her lips.

He clumsily fed the ribbon through the holes, taking an unfortunately long amount of time. When he finally reached the bottom, he tied it off into a lopsided "bow", his hands just grazing her waist. Evelyn's breath hitched.

Enjolras quickly removed his hands, running one through his hair and putting the other on his hip. He laughed breathily, trying to dispel the awkwardness.

Evelyn's spirits dropped momentarily. She then fixed a smile and grabbed her little purse, following Enjolras out the door.

...

The Opera House was the grandest building Evelyn had ever seen. Sure, she had passed by it while wandering the streets of Paris, but she could really admire it now.

Intricately designed arches and windows decorated the front. A massive dome sat in the middle of the room, gold finials everywhere. Other couples steadily streamed in, chatting about.

"This is huge," Evelyn involuntarily whispered.

"Yes. Yes it is," a small smile lit up Enjolras's face.

They entered a painted hallway, gold chandeliers every ten feet. The light bounced off the metal, giving everything a glow. They took some velvet-covered stairs to their box, the crowd gradually thinning out as they did so.

Enjolras, naturally led the way, opening the door to their seats. Evelyn was in awe of the view. There were hundreds of velvet cushioned seats, gold decorated nearly every surface, and nouveau riche women were dripping with the newest fabrics and patterns. Enjolras literally had to push her to their seats.

But when Enjolras got there, there was already a man sitting in one of the four possible chairs.

Enjolras crinkled his brow and tapped the man on the shoulder, expecting to tell him that, in fact, they had these seats reserved.

When the mystery visitor turned around, Enjolras didn't know whether to feel glad or annoyed. "Joly what are you doing her?" he hissed.

"Thought I would watch my fiancee. What's wrong with that?"

"I know you're not here for Musichetta."

"Then what would I be here for?" Enjolras wordlessly pointed out Evelyn, who was nearly leaning over the edge of the balcony. "Fine. You caught me." Joly put his hands up in surrender. Enjolras sighed in annoyance and sat down in the squishy seat.

The omnipresent murmur of hundreds of voices filled the theater, creating a buzzing atmosphere. Evelyn looked down to the floor, then to the sides, taking in the vastness of the space. She knew that these halls were designed with acoustics in mind, but it still amazed her.

A single violin played middle C, then others joined him, creating a harmonious, swelling sound. Then, a few at a time, each instrument would have it's own warm up tune, showing the diversity of each piece.

Evelyn looked at Enjolras, wanting to confirm with him that this was actually real, but saw Joly as well. She smiled broadly and walked over to him.

She chose the seat in between Enjolras and Joly.

...

The entire time, Evelyn was sitting at the edge of her seat.

Also the entire time, Joly was silently commanding Enjolras to make a move. _You dolt! This is why we reserved the entire box! SO YOU COULD TALK TO HER! _He mouthed.

Enjolras just made a disgusted nod and pretended to be interested with the opera.

...

At the end of the profuse applause, Joly motioned for Evelyn and Enjolras to follow him. They made their way to the entrance to back stage, where the talent could meet the people. Evelyn embraced Musi, endlessly (and honestly) complimenting her. Behind Evelyn's back, Joly shook his head no, indicating that "_Enjolras has been a stubborn prude." _

After making plans to visit one day or another, the couple slowly made their way out of the theater and to the fiacre. Evelyn tapped her feet quickly down the steps, invigorated.

"That was _amazing!" _she said, spinning with her arms out and a wide grin on her face.

"Evelyn, calm down." Enjolras said. He wasn't one to attract attention, but he did find her mildly amusing. Most everybody was gone by then, anyways.

"Did you hear the music? And Musi's singing, oh!" Evelyn blabbed on. "Do you do this often?" she asked, "you" referring to the upper class.

"Sometimes. It depends on whether you like the opera or not." Evelyn's eyes widened with childlike awe.

"This is _fun_! I can't remember the last time I had fun like this!" Evelyn practically screamed. She looked towards Enjolras, who looked uninterested. "C'mon, I know you had fun." Enjolras gave a noncommittal shrug. "Oh _please_, I think it's a given that my company alone made this evening a fantastic event," Evelyn said with an eyebrow arched.

Enjolras laughed lightly. "It did indeed."

Evelyn looped her arm in his, leaning slightly against him to keep warm. Enjolras, at first, stiffened in posture, but soon loosened up. But that was the only effort he was going to make for the time being.

**A/N: People used to talk and do... certain... ****_business_**** in the boxes during the Opera, so that's kind of what Joly's getting at. He's not being rude. And I realized like 3 months ago I shouldn't have made Musi a dancer, so I was waiting for a proper opportunity to bring it up. Hope you enjoyed it! Review it even if you didn't! hahaha**


	25. A Studying Mishap

_Chapter 24  
~A Studying Mishap~_

November 23, 1832

Evelyn and Marie had made a bond over the past four months. Both had been promoted to the slightly less miserable position of general maid, which at least allowed them into other parts of the house.

Enjolras still didn't know. But Evelyn could tell that he was starting to pick up on the fact that she wasn't sewing pants.

Rene was gone at school, and so was Caroline (last minute decision to rightfully put her in an arts school), leaving for some lonely days at the flat. The only time she saw Enjolras was when he came over for dinner, because now the new work schedule prohibited her from going home during lunch.

Musi and Cosette had spilled to Evelyn a month before that Enjolras admitted to liking her, so Evelyn tried to speed things up a little bit back home. Obviously, nothing worked.

"So it's been five months since you've met him, and not a single thing has happened?" Marie questioned as she arranged teacups on a platter.

"Yup," Evelyn answered, rolling her eyes.

"So, let me get this straight, you are trying to woo an infamous revolutionary who _has _admitted to fancying you, but won't do anything about it. Said infamous revolutionary also pays for," she ticked off each point on a finger, "your flat and your siblings' tuition. Oh, and he doesn't know you work as a maid."

"Yes."

"_Mon Dieu!_" Marie threw her hands up, "No wonder you look so stressed all the time!"

Evelyn glared a diluted version of her usual death stare. "If you think I look bad now, you should have seen me six months ago." She took the whistling teakettle off the stove and poured the boiling water into the four cups. "Anyways," Evelyn changed the subject, "I take it you haven't made much progress with Adam?"

"Well I made a little," Marie turned and leaned against the counter and looked wistfully into the bread cupboard, "he smiled at me."

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "I don't understand why you like him that much. He has to live at home even though he's studying at college. You know why? He spent too much time at the tavern and he was failing. Why in God's name would you want a man like that?"

"Like that Enjolras is much better!"

Evelyn glared fully at Marie and spoke harshly, "He is the opposite of Adam, Marie_. _He's brave and compassionate and intelligent and attractive-" Evelyn realized she was rambling and felt color rise to her cheeks, "how would you even know that!"

"I don't. I'm proving a point," Marie shrugged, "You like him more than you let up. I'm daring to say you even love him. Now as for why I like Adam-"

"Girls!" the head chef interrupted their chatting, "Do you think you're getting paid to gossip? Go out there and serve the tea for Christ's sake!"

Evelyn and Marie shared a grin and went to take the tea out to the guests.

"Oh!" The chef shouted, grabbing the girls's attention, "We need you to work over time tomorrow. Something about the youngest having a birthday," he grumbled, stirring a wooden spoon in an enormous pot.

Evelyn and Marie shared a look, both rolling their eyes in good nature.

...

November 24, 1832

Enjolras rolled over in his bed, trying to ignore the nagging sensation in his brain. Clean light from a crisp November dawn poured into his room, a faint breeze rattled the brittle leaves outside, but all Enjolras felt was misery.

Going to all his classes without his friends was near torture.

He kept hearing 'Ferre's voice in philosophy class, poking him to pay attention. He felt Courf's snickers at the history professor's failed attempt at a toupee. Everywhere he looked, there was some reminder of one of his _Ami_'s.

The Cause was nearly dead, too. Letters and essays were inferior to the public speaking and pamphlets that he used to produce.

Loathing once-loved classes like literature and debate and feeling useless was now his unfortunate reality, and the depression his emptied life brought was immobilizing.

Marius, Joly, and Evelyn just weren't filling the spaces left behind the the _Amis._

_No matter_, he said to himself every morning, _I'm not going to waste my life sitting on my ass, so I might as well go to school. Marius and Joly and Evelyn aren't such bad company, anyways._

Enjolras dragged his legs over the side bed, his feet hitting the cold hard wood of the bedroom. He curled his toes, feeling the inevitable chill lingering from last night. He sat upright and ruffled his flattened curls.

...

Enjolras's boots clicked in the hallways of the Sorbonne. Midday light streamed through the windows in bars. The hushed-voices that were so commonly talking about him had died since the beginning of the school year, so he kept his head up. He almost wished that someone would come up to him, like they used to, and ask him about The Cause.

"Enjolras!"

His head snapped to where the voice was and looked around in the sea of men for the culprit.

"Enjolras!"

Enjolras's eyes landed on a brown-haired individual fighting against the crowd to get to him. Enjolras squinted his eyes, sensing the familiarity. The boy stumbled next to Enjolras, then stood up and straightened his jacket, driving his nose up in the air.

Enjolras looked him up and down, immediately reading him as cocky. The boy flicked his head to the side, swishing the chestnut curls out of his eyes. That was when Enjolras recognized him as the idiot from his Public Speaking class.

"Adam Laurent," the boy said in a deepened voice, sticking out his hand. Enjolras shook it, brows drawn ever so slightly. "Say, uh, I was hoping you would help me with the speech we're supposed to turn in tomorrow. You know the one about-"

"I know what you mean..." Enjolras thought about it for a little bit, _I can say no and the idiot walks away still an idiot, or I can put up with him for a few hours and at least hope to improve his abilities... maybe it would even be an opportunity to convince him to join The Cause? _"Sure," Enjolras amended, "Tonight, then, I'm assuming?"

"Yeah, I was thinking right after school? I've got a lot of work to do," Adam said out of the corner of his mount, trying to make a joke out of it. Enjolras just slowly nodded and kept on his way. "I'll meet you at the fountain at 4!" Adam shouted after him, swallowed up by the crowd.

...

Musi sat on Joly's lap in the parlor. They were, once again, having a long and intricate discussion of Enjolras's love life.

"I swear to God, we are going to have grandchildren before they even hold hands," Joly said, exasperated.

"Don't be so pessimistic. I'm sure there will be some ball and we can force them to dance together and they will then fall madly in love with each other..." Musi predicted, lost in her own little world.

"That's it!" Joly said and burst up, nearly throwing Musi off of him. He caught her waist before she fell. "Oh! sorry, love," he said and kissed her cheek, "Marius's grandfather throws a winter ball every year! Enjolras goes, because they're family friends. We'll probably be invited, considering how we visit nearly every weekend," Joly brought his hands up to his head and grinned, "How did I not think of this!"

"Yes! And we can _force_ Enjolras to teach her how to dance because, uhhh" Musi put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot as she thought, "I have rehearsals! Yup I have rehearsals and I get really tired. He lives next door anyways."

"The letter should come in the mail within the next few weeks. Until then, we must stay silent," He grasped Musi's hands, "Pretend that we have given up on him, so that he doesn't see it coming."

... Evelyn checked the simple clock that rested on the kitchen counter, wishing the minutes she spent in overtime to tick faster. Marie's company only did so much to pass the time.

Speaking of Marie, she burst into the kitchen, wearing the most crazed expression and breathing heavily. She leaned her back against the wall. It appeared as if she had just run a marathon. Immediately, Evelyn crinkled her brow in question, but Marie answered it without invitation. "Monsieur Adam," he chest heaved and but she smiled with excitement, "has a _friend_." She her back a little down the wall, and closed her eyes, holding a pleasant smile. "And he is gorgeous."

Evelyn's eyes widened. Things with Enjolras had been rather stagnant, and although she still held an interest for him, she wasn't solely his. "Well take me to him!" she shouted, beaming. She started walking out the door, but Marie grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. "Wait, we need to bring them something first. I think they're studying. So coffee, then?" Evelyn and Marie quickly went to work. Evelyn took a kettle from a cupboard and filled it with water.

"So what does he look like?" Evelyn asked.

"I'm not telling you! It's a surprise," Marie grinned, knowing full well that she was driving Evelyn mad. Evelyn rolled her eyes and worked even faster.

Soon enough, the pair was done. Marie rolled the tea cart of pastries out as Evelyn grabbed a tray and placed the coffee and accessories on it.

The girls stifled giggles as they rounded the corner and went into the dining room, Evelyn's stomach churned with anticipation as she thought of all the ways to flirt or otherwise make herself seem suitable. She could hear the two boys conversing, and one piqued her attention, but she ignored it.

Marie pushed open the door, letting Evelyn catch a glimpse of the friend. She nearly dropped the platter. Since Marie was already going in, Evelyn let her go ahead, but she pressed her back against the wall. _How did he even find me? Merde! How do I get out of this! _

She could hear Marie's voice muffled by the wood, "And I have coffee around here somewhere... I'm afraid I left it in the kitchen. _Pardon_." The heavy door swung open, and Marie looked unfazed. As soon as the door closed, Evelyn barraged Marie. "Do you know who that is?" Evelyn harshly whispered, barely holding onto the tray. Marie just looked confused. "That's Enjolras! I can't go out there!" Mare's jaw dropped.

Just then, the door swung open again. Evelyn went silent immediately. Enjolras poked his golden head through. "Oh, sorry, I thought this was the-" he went silent and knit his brow, "Evelyn?"

Evelyn couldn't form words and just stared blankly. Marie carefully removed the tray from her hands and placed it on the table before Evelyn dropped it. "What are you doing here?" Enjolras said slowly, confused. Evelyn could feel him boring holes into her as he looked up and down her uniform. She swallowed and spoke barely above a whisper, "I work here."

"Oh. Um. Alright," Enjolras said, backing back into the parlor. He left a lingering glare that only Evelyn could see, indicating that this discussion was not over.

Evelyn finished her shift in silence.

...

Enjolras insisted on taking Evelyn home with him in the same carriage. The carriage ride was silent, as Evelyn just stared out the window the entire time. Enjolras internally chastised himself for not being brave enough to initiate a conversation.

They journeyed up to their floor, still not talking. Evelyn had her key out, ready to unlock the door and enter her apartment, in which Rene and Caroline were probably waiting for her.

"Wait," Enjolras said calmly. Evelyn slowly turned around, lips pressed and eyebrows slightly raised in an innocent expression. "What was that about?" he asked, fidgeting.

Evelyn sighed in defeat; she knew this was her time to confess. "I needed a job, and that was the highest paying one," she stated, crossing her arms.

"But why didn't you tell me?" Enjolras said earnestly. Evelyn had two routes: say it was none of his business, or tell the truth. She couldn't get the words out, and she felt her cheeks redden. "I trust_ you_! You're the only person I let see my drafts. The _only _person," Enjolras said.

Evelyn's heart beat a little faster. _Ok so he's actually admitting to trusting me... _Evelyn thought, _This is a step forward... No! Focus! How do you explain this?_ "I'm sorry..." she squeaked out. She felt like she had disappointed him, or failed him. Like she _owed_ him that apology.

"I don't want you to be sorry, I just want you to trust me," Enjolras gave a little smile and laughed a bit.

Evelyn carefully nodded, barely accepting that someone had voluntarily given their companionship to her. She wasn't used to fully trusting anyone. Even Musi, Cosette, and Marie didn't fully know about her past.

"Alright, then... I guess. I'll see you tomorrow." Enjolras stated, walking backwards int eh direction of his door.

"Tomorrow," Evelyn repeated, trying to hide the smile that crept onto her face. Enjolras nodded, reaffirming the situation, and turned his back to her.

**A/N: hello there, my lovelies. Ok sorry for the sloppy writing, but most of my energy is going towards the infamous plot point, which is spread out over a few chapters. Also I need a title change. The one I have now sucks ass. Help pls? Also, currently thinking about writing a maze-runner fanfic, which you can pm me if you want the basic plot for. Till next week!**


	26. Fauchelevant's Part Two

_Chapter 25  
~Fauchelevant's Part Two~_

December 12, 1832

It was quiet in the apartment. The curtains were still open, letting dusky light into the main room. Soft snow fell silently, sticking to the windows. Enjolras didn't bother lighting his fireplace, so the room was almost uncomfortable cool.

It was Winter in Paris. The Gillenormand annual Winter Ball was in two weeks. Evelyn had already been taught polite discussion and table manners; all that was left was dancing. Which Musi and the gang had so graciously forced on Enjolras.

Both Enjolras and Evelyn were a little excited, but wouldn't let the other know.

"So you put your hand here," Enjolras picked up Evelyn's hand and placed it on the outside of his shoulder. "And you hold this one," he picked up Evelyn's right in his left and held it up to shoulder height. He hesitated, knowing where his remaining hand went. He tentatively put it on her waist and pulled her closer. She could feel his body heat. Evelyn immediately felt a little tingle where his hand was.

"Just follow my lead."

"Back" He slowly stepped forward with his right foot, Evelyn filled in the space with her left.

"Quarter turn to your left."

"Quarter turn to your left again."

"And spin." Enjolras lifted his hand up, allowing Evelyn to slowly turn under him. He brought his hand back down and replaced his hand on her waist, drawing her close once again.

They both paused for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. "Uh it's cold, isn't it?" Enjolras said quickly, breaking the silence. "I should probably light a fire. I mean it is snowing after all," Evelyn dropped her hands. Enjolras strode away and tended to the fireplace. Evelyn hugged herself and rubbed her hands on her arms. She was disappointed and, worse, questioning if she was the cause of it.

The flame lit and Enjolras stood up, brushing his hands on his knees. "So, we'll begin again?"

Evenly looked up from the floor quickly with a vaguely surprised expression. "Sure," she said softly and brought her hands back to dancing position.

...

December 13, 1832

Evelyn twiddled her thumbs in the carriage, alone. It jostled back and forth on the uneven cobblestone, occasionally splashing through a puddle of slush. The horses whinnied when they stopped.

Evelyn stepped out of the carriage and onto the sidewalk just in front of Fauchelevant's tailor shop in Paris. She let herself in, a little bell signaling her arrival. "Bonjour!" cooed the older woman at the counter. With her finger, she traced down the list of names and appointments in the book. "Evelyn Delacroix and Musichetta Joly?"

"Yes, well just Evelyn for right now. Musi should be here any minute," Evelyn answered.

"Good, good. Now, come here and let me measure you." Madame Fauchelevant walked down a corridor and motioned for Evelyn to come stand on a low, circular pedestal in front of a three-fold mirror. Madame Fauchelevant unlaced the back of Evelyn's dress and let it fall to the floor before moving on the to petticoats. Madame picked up each garment and hung them over a paper screen. Just then, the entry-bell tinkled and Madame left to greet the customer.

Evelyn took a moment to inspect herself in the mirror. This new lifestyle had treated her well. Her skin had a healthy glow to it and her figure had filled out, for the most part. _Good thing I don't look like a street waif anymore... Street waif. Eponine. Damnit._ She blinked hard a few times to clear her mind.

The dressmaker strolled into the room, followed by Musi. Musi flashed a bright smile at Evelyn, who returned with a fond "_bonjour_!"

"Ready for some dress designing?" Musi shouted excitedly, clapping along. She sat in a little chair behind Evelyn.

"Of course." Madame wound the measuring tape around Evelyn's waist. "What were you thinking?" Evelyn and Musi communicated through their reflections.

"Fuscia and bows."

"Why would I expect anything else," Evelyn responded with a smirk, laughing a bit.

"How 'bout you, dear?"

"I don't really know. I've never actually seen ball gowns. I mean I have an idea but I'm kind of lost."

Behind Evelyn, Musi was beaming. "Does this mean I can design your dress for you?" Musi asked with her whole body leaned a bit forward with anticipation.

"Yes. But only if I get the final say. I'm not letting you dress me up in some monster of petticoats and tulle." Madame finished taking her measurements and shooed her off the pedestal, then helped her redress. Musi stepped on behind her.

"I'm thinking blue... navy blue. It would play off your eyes and you're brunette so you can carry it." Evelyn just stared blankly, letting Musi take the reins. "And pearls? Gold would look nice, too," she mused, "Maybe silver? No. Gold. Oh! And a big bow!"

"No," Evelyn made a nauseated expression, "I'll do a small bow. Even a medium sized bow. But not a big bow."

Musi looked momentarily despondent, then returned back to her playful self. "We'll do must detailing. You know, to direct the eyes... up," she said with a sultry wink.

"Musi we are in a public place!" Evelyn hissed, fully knowing that that comment was going to lead to some dirty conversation if Musi had control.

"Oh, don't mind me, dears," Madame Fauchelevant piped up, "Monsieur and I had many children... if you catch my drift."

Evelyn nearly gagged.

"On that note," Musi continued, unfazed, "how have the dance lessons been going?"

Evelyn let out a scoff, "Knowing him, how do you think they've been going?" Musi shot an irritated glance at Evelyn through the mirror, mainly directed towards Enjolras. "Well, we did get close." Musi's face immediately lit up. "But the idiot decided to light a _fire_. _A fire_. I was ditched _for a fire_." Musi dropped her arms and spun on her heel on the pedestal, jaw dropped. Evelyn showed a sarcastic frown.

"Joly was right!" Musi murmured as she turned back around. Madame took one last measurement before helping Musi get dressed and sending them into the main room.

"So, ladies, what do you have in mind?" Madame asked as she settled in a plush chair with a pad of paper and a pen in hand.

Evelyn was about to open her mouth, but Musi cut her off. "Navy blue velvet."

"Velvet? Are you trying to give me heat stroke?" Evelyn exclaimed.

"Shh! You want to stand out, don't you? Gold thread, white pears. Detail on the hem and bust. Pearls as buttons down the back. Back embroidery as well. Silk bow with more embroidery on it. Oh, and the pearls should be incorporated into the embroidery as well. Basic off the shoulder, small puff sleeves."

Madame peered quizically at Musi before sighing with resignation and sketching on the paper. After a few moments she turned the paper around. On it was a surprisingly-artful for-the-amount-of-time-she-was-given sketch.

The dress had a full, but not obscenely so skirt, the detailing on the hem curved up into little peaks every few inches. Tear drop and spherical pearls were sprinkled in. More pearls and gold thread formed a decorative ring around the neckline. The back was adorned with further embroidery with a "v" going from the shoulders to the waist. Around the waist was a wide sash, forming a bow just above the derrière. Evelyn fell in love.

"That's amazing!" Evelyn shouted, grinning. Musi drove her nose into the air.

"Now for me," Musi asserted, "Fuscia silk. Big sleeves that cinch at the bottom with a bow. Rosettes and ruffles starting about midway down the skirt. And, of course, a silver sash with a big bow on the back."

Madame then sketched that design. Musi corrected a few things until she was satisfied. The two then paid and left the shop happy.

...

Evelyn picked at little gold wrappers in small barrels. Right next to her, Musi was perusing a selection of taffies.

"So whatever happened to your doctor-dreams?" Musi asked in a hushed voice.

"Children. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices," said with sad smile. She said that with a tone of finality, signifying that that conversation was over. Evelyn always knew it was more of a dream than anything, but it was still a thorn in her side.

"Ah. So do you know how to do your hair and get dressed and stuff properly for the ball?"

"No."

"Then you can come to my house before and I can show you? We can ride there together."

"Sounds fun!"

"And we can brush up on tips to please that special someone."

"What? Musi! What do you think we're going to be doing? He hasn't even kissed me? There are so many things wrong with that statement I don't even know where to begin."

"Oh tell me you don't want to." Evelyn mulled it over for a bit then shrugged. "I mean if he's that passionate on a platform, imagine what he's like in bed."

Musi!"

"Fine, fine." Musi moved her hands up in a gesture of surrender. Her tone shifted, "If he doesn't make a move by the ball, you're going to have to."

"Do you realize how improper that is?"

"Do you realize how stupid he's being? Sometimes men just need a little shove-"

"No. If he hasn't made a move by then he clearly isn't interested."

Musi sighed heavily. "Courting is an art form, and it actually takes effort on the female part as well-"

"Oh you mean sitting pretty and accepting flowers? Yes, real hard work." Evelyn's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"It takes effort to look nice. Don't try and tell me that wearing a corset is fun."

"But that is a standard enforced by society."

"Don't make everything a statement." Evelyn just glared in response. "You and Enjolras are so alike it's not even funny."

"Just so made for each other," Evelyn said, mocking the idea.

"Look, I know you're disappointed-"

"I'm not disappointed!"

"You know it's ok to have feelings, right?" Musi was met with cold silence. "It's ok to be upset. To be angry. Or broken."

Every word spoke exactly to Evelyn's uncertainty and insecurity when it came to Eponine.

"I _know_ what happened at the barricade-"

"No you don't. You don't know and I am sick of everybody pretending that they do," Evelyn barely registered the venom in her voice, "Every time it gets brought up in front of somebody they pretend like it somehow relates to something that they've done or an experience they've had- and let me tell you, there is _nothing_ like watching your friends's lives end horribly before they've really had the chance to live them." Her eyes burned holes through Musi, who had grown a little pale.

Evelyn hand't really gotten that loud, but it was enough to attract attention. Evelyn slowly looked around the room and realized everybody was looking at her. Embarrassed, she gently put the candy down and slowly walked out of the store and home, leaving Musi behind.

...

Evelyn opened the door to her empty apartment, only to discover it wasn't so empty. "_Bonjour, mademoiselle_," sounded a familiar voice just around the corner in the parlor. _Julien, Godamnit, _she thought.

"How did you even get in here?" she asked, struggling to hold herself together. Fat tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, ready to spill out.

"I've picked up a few tricks," Enjolras said as he rounded the corner to meet her. When he saw her face, he immediately knew what was wrong. "Hey, what's the matter?" he cooed, knowing that Evelyn didn't get upset without very good reason.

"Nothing..." Evelyn pretended that everything was fine and dandy, even putting on a fake smile, "I'm fine."

Enjolras walked a few steps closer and leaned sideways against the wall. "You know every time you say that, you're not, right?" he said matter of factly.

Evelyn let out a little, awkward laugh at the absurdity of the whole thing and then wiped her hands down her face. Enjolras just raised his eyebrows in response. She swallowed hard and then nodded. "I'm fine."


	27. The Gillenormand's Winter Ball

_Chapter 26  
~The Gillenormand Winter Ball~_

Evelyn grimaced in Musi's vanity mirror. The heat radiating from the tong that Musi was using to curl her hair was unpleasant. She involuntarily shrunk into her dressing gown.

"So. Remember if things get heated after the ball, you go to Enjolras's apartment not yours. You don't want the kids-"

"Musi!"

"What? Now that they're home you don't want them, you know..." Musi kept her voice low. Evelyn glared at Musi's reflection and just allowed her friend to talk. "What'd he get you for Christmas, anyways?"

"Marco Polo's travels. It's quite interesting, actually."

"And what did you get him?"

"Surprisingly enough, he didn't have one of Voltaire's books. So I got that for him. You know he gave Rene a gun? I swear to God one of us isn't going to make it to 1833."

"You guys are the cutest little pseudo-family I have ever seen."

"He's good for them, honestly. They've never really had a significant male role model so they look up to him."

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Musi carefully placed the tong on the glass table top and strolled over to the door. She carefully twisted the silver knob and pulled in, revealing Enjolras in a three-piece suit. Evelyn was very happy that she was sitting down.

Not to mention he looked mildly uncomfortable with the cravat (for once) tied tight. It was slightly adorable.

He nervously drummed his fingers on the box in his hands, but that was the only sign of nervousness he gave up. Only Evelyn knew him well enough to pick up on it.

They locked eyes, dark blue on light blue. Musi looked gleefully between them then shouted "Oh! Coming Joly!" and pranced out. Musi's voice shocked Evelyn out of the stare she held and she looked down at her lap, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.

Enjolras carefully took the few steps from the door to Evelyn and stuck out the box. Evelyn hesitantly took it, knowing full well that the blue velvet meant that it was something _expensive_.

"You mentioned a while ago that your birthday was in December? And Musi said that you needed something to wear..." Enjolras said. He shifted his weight from foot to foot, hands clasped behind his back. He intently looked at Evelyn's face, watching for her reaction.

Evelyn slowly pushed the top part open, peeking just under the lip of the box. She let out a little gasp when she saw what was inside.

A diamond and sapphire necklace was placed in the center, and matching earrings were to the right and left of it.

Evelyn flicked her eyes from Enjolras, to the necklace, then back to Enjolras. Her mouth hung open a little. Joly and Musi poked their heads in through the door.

"It's from all of us, Enjolras!" Joly corrected. He walked into the room and clasped Enjolras on the shoulder. "Give credit where credit is due, my friend!"

"I picked it out," Musi added.

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. Evelyn felt her eyes water up a little, but she quickly blinked them back. She felt cared for, special even.

She placed the box on the vanity and hugged Musi. Then she went to Joly and planted a kiss on his cheek and pulled him in a tight hug. Then came Enjolras. She briefly hugged him, but just that short amount of time was enough for it to be electric.

"Now, out you two!" Musi shooed Joly and Enjolras out the door. "We still have to get dressed!"

"Uh, Musi, love, it's already 7:30. The party started a half hour ago." Joly stated.

"Oh, whatever. We're fashionably late. You two go on with out us. We'll meet up there." Musi dismissed the issue with a wave of her hand.

Evelyn couldn't tear her eyes from Enjolras as he strode out the door. The suit was perfectly tailored: the shoulders were strong, the waist was just the slightest bit pulled in.

Musi sauntered back to Evelyn and started tugging at her hair again. "Ow!" Evelyn cried.

"This is the price of beauty, my dear!"

"No it's not. I do my hair all the time and it doesn't hurt like this. You're just doing it poorly."

Musi playfully flicked the top of Evelyn's ear. "I can do worse."

Evelyn rolled her eyes and begrudgingly allowed Musi to continue.

After suffering through, Evelyn had her hair in a loose bun at the crown of her hair. Much to Musi's irritation, Evelyn's hair didn't hold the curls. So they compromised and pinned them back with one of Musi's pearl combs.

Then the two of them helped each other into their dresses. Evelyn didn't really realize how heavy all the petticoats were until she had them all on at once. She could hardly move with all the stiffened flannel surrounding her. Once she had her dress on, however, her mood instantly lifted. She gave it a little twirl in the full length mirror set into the armoire door, watching the skirt swish around. Musi looked on approvingly. In a way, especially when it came to upper-class matters, Musi was like a big sister to Evelyn.

...

Evelyn felt butterflies in her stomach as the carriage pulled into the circular, gravel driveway of the Gillenormand mansion.

The carriage stopped in front of the grand entrance, where two greeters were posted on either side of the five step staircase. One greeter left his post and strode over to help the girls out. Musi stepped out first, taking the man's hand and coyly fanning herself with her painted fan. Then Evelyn, who followed Musi's lead. A million situations as to what her night would be like with Enjolras raced through her mind.

Boisterous voices poured out through the open double doors and cracked windows. A little smile of excitement appeared on Evelyn's face. They picked up their skirts and daintily scaled the steps into the main hall.

The best way to describe the Gillenormand mansion was decadent.

The main hall floors were dark, exotic wood. Marble columns decorated archways into the next rooms. The ceiling was painted with little cherubs and clouds. It was the ideal baroque residence.

Musi led Evelyn past marble busts and bookcases into a main ballroom, which was stunning.

A massive crystal chandelier hung from a painted ceiling. Mint green wall paper lined the high walls. Carved wooden tables were pushed against the walls, and on them were sweets and treats piled high. Evelyn had never seen anything like it, and her eyes went wide.

Multi-pastel-colored maracons were on silver tiered trays. On the actual table surfaces were cakes and cupcakes. On one table was drinks in crystal glasses. Women in full skirts and men in suits danced and socialized. The younger women held up their fans with their white gloved hands, playing the boys. Old friends greeted eachother. In the corner, a string quartet played ambient music.

Musi looked back at her friend, who looked with childlike wonder at her surroundings. "C'mon! Fans up, shoulders back, and smiles on!" she commanded.

...

"Look at you, Enjolras. Even more popular at this thing than you usually are," Marius teased, jabbing his friend in the side. "I swear, you actually have more ladies than usual on you."

"Shut up," Enjolras spat, glaring at his idiot friend. He didn't need a reminder. He could hardly go three minutes without some girlish thing coming at him. Apparently being the complete opposite of what most fathers wanted for their daughters didn't serve as the deterrent he thought it would.

"Oh look, here comes one now," Joly murmured out of the corner of his mouth.

A blonde in a creamy yellow monster approached the three of them. "You're Julien Enjolras, aren't you?" she teased. Enjolras nearly cringed at the sound of her voice.

"Yes," he said, his voice low. He glared right into her.

"Girls!" she screeched, motioning to a group of girls a few feet away. Each dress was worse than the next.

"Oh God, there's more," Joly murmured, turning ever so slightly so that only Enjolras and Marius could hear him. He could barely stifle his laughter. Enjolras clenched his jaw.

"This is Lynette, Adèle, and Joséphine. And I'm Pauline." the girl in the yellow dress said. "I believe we met last time." she said.

"I don't remember you," Enjolras said flatly. A dark blue dress appeared in the mass of pastels, and Enjolras immediately noticed it. "Now if you'll excuse me..." he murmured, pushing his way through the girls.

He left Joly and Marius to deal with three irritated and one upset girl. "Uh... He really didn't mean it, ladies," Joly stammered. Marius was trying to hide his laughter by bending over.

After a few moments he righted himself and tried cover his friend's mistake. "One of my friends, Adam Laurent. Do you know him? I think you would like him," he said while gently leading Pauline to where he saw Adam a few minutes ago.

Joly felt a tap on his shoulder. Bewildered, he turned around. A familiar set of dark eyes and dimples met him.

"Evelyn! I'm glad you made it! You haven't really missed much. Only a few dances..." he peered around her shoulder, expecting to find Enjolras with her. "Hey, where's Enjolras?"

"Enjolras? I don't know. Why?"

"He was looking for you."

A little smile tugged at Evelyn's lips. "Oh. Well I haven't seen him," she said, shrugging. "Musi's over with Cosette, if you're wondering."

"Oh, good. I was just about to ask." Music started to float through the room. People started to pair up. "Ah. Well, in any case, may I have this dance?" Joly asked, bowing.

Evelyn held out her gloved hand and Joly took it, then kissed it. He held it up to shoulder height and began a basic waltz, guiding Evelyn fairly well. "Either Enjolras is a much better teacher than I thought he would be, or you're a quick learner," Joly joked. Evelyn laughed a bit in response. A pause. "You know, he really doesn't understand women, so I apologize on his behalf."

"Not to worry. I actually find it somewhat endearing."

"That's comforting. I... we... were all sure that he would never settle down."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Joly." Evelyn warned in good nature.

"You're right. But really I don't think he'll ever love anybody else."

"Joly-"

"Seriously. So be extra patient with him. I'm pretty sure you're his only shot."

"You're making him sound like a leper." Joly had a good laugh at that.

The music entered it's final stage with a flourish. Evelyn curtsied and Joly bowed, formally ending the dance. The music quickly changed to something fast paced and the crowd with it.

Everybody started swirling about, following and bobbing along with each other. Evelyn looked at him with a confused expression. Then it hit him. "Oh, _merde_," he murmured, "he didn't teach you this, did he..."

"What?!" Evelyn glared at him.

"Uhh..." Joly looked around him and into the mess of dancers. He spotted a familiar fuscia dress. "Just follow Musi!" he exclaimed and lightly pushed her in Musi's direction. Evelyn's sounds of protest were barely heard over the crescendo in the music.

She stumbled along with the ladies to the right side of the ballroom, gentlemen on the left. Evelyn stood directly behind Musi so she could see what she was doing. She spotted Enjolras across the hall, little butterflies floated in her stomach. "'I can see where you're looking," Musi said as she waved her left arm gracefully.

"There'll be a couples dance after this one, right?" asked Evelyn.

"Yup! Don't worry, I'll make sure you get to him," Musi said with a wink. Suddenly, the two sides rushed together, nearly drowning Evelyn in a sea of skirts.

Each lady found a man and lifted their arms up to form an arch in one line. The couple at the very end ran through. Each partner would then turn in place and loop through. Luckily Evelyn near the end, so she had enough time to learn it. Her parter was an older, dark haired gentleman with a cheery disposition, who sensed that Evelyn didn't really know what she was doing. His navy jacket had various metals and decorations on it, along with a small fleur des lis embroidered on the the right breast. He called out the steps, and put up with the few times that Evelyn stepped on his toes. Surprisingly, a grin appeared on Evelyn's face. She was having more fun than she thought she would.

The song ended on a high note, and Evelyn graciously curtsied. The gentleman raised and kissed her hand. "I don't believe I caught your name?"

"Inspecteur Gregorie Gerard, mademoiselle. And yours?"

"Evelyn," she stated with a small smile.

"Very nice meeting you," Gerard stated, the music then shifted again, "I hope to see you later tonight?"

"Perhaps," Evelyn said with the coy so typical of the 19th century. She pulled out her fan walked a few steps backwards before turning around. She was met with a view of Enjolras's chest.

He grabbed one wrist in each hand, stopping her. "Oh!" Evelyn exclaimed. "Oh it's just you," she said, giggling a bit.

"May I have this dance?" Enjolras said, bowing slightly. Evelyn accepted with a small smile and extended her hand. Enjolras's gaze shifted to a person over Evelyn's right shoulder who was _definitely_ eyeing her. "Who's that?" he asked.

Evelyn turned her head around and saw the Inspector. "Inspecteur Gregorie Gerard. He was my dance parter for the last dance," she swung her head back with a lopsided smile, "You know, the one you forgot to teach me."

"I'm sorry, alright?" Enjolras said, laughing, "I had a term paper due-"

"You are not one to make excuses," Evelyn said, raising an eyebrow.

"You're right. I'm not," he said as they intro part of the music blended into the main music. He spotted Musi, Joly, Marius, and Cosette hurrying to get to a proper viewing place. He quickly pulled Evelyn and shuffled somewhere else.

"Why did we move?"

"Just wanted some privacy. The gang is keeping an eye out,"

"Ah."

The tune started, and the pair began their dance. Evelyn, trying really hard not to embarrass herself, looked at her feet. Enjolras cleared his throat, interrupting the awkward silence. "So... uh. How do you like the party so far?" he choked out.

"It's great! Especially enjoying the dessert table," she giggled a bit, nervousness seeping into her now.

Enjolras felt a spark of boldness. "Ready?" he said, a smile forming. Evelyn looked at him with an expression of confusion. He simultaneously pushed Evelyn sideways by her waist and lifted his other hand, spinning her. When she finished the rotation, she was smiling and giggling like a fool. Her laughter was infectious.

"I'm going to go on the balcony for a moment," Evelyn stated, raising her voice to be heard over the general din in the ballroom.

"I'll come with you!" Enjolras followed her out, striding to catch up with her.

...

"They deliberately moved away from us before dancing. That is a good sign," Joly said, plucking a flute of champagne from a passing waiter's tray.

"A _very_ good sign," Marius commented.

Suddenly, Cosette gasped. "Look!" She pointed towards the open french doors that led to the balcony. Two familiar figures slipped through them and out into the open air. Without a word, Musi grabbed Cosette with one hand and Joly with the other, signaling to Marius that he should follow.

The four of them scurried through the ballroom, hardly remembering their manners. They finally reached the doors and hid behind the left one, poking their heads past the frame to see the action.

...

"Well I'm glad we caught a break in the clouds!" Evelyn said cheerily, still riding the high that dancing with Enjolras gave her. She turned her face upwards and traced the constellations in her mind. Enjolras felt like the few seconds of silence were minutes.

"So, uh," he spluttered out, Evelyn broke her gaze and turned to Enjolras. "I'm glad the gang wasn't stalking us across the ballroom..." his voice trailed out on noticing that Evelyn's eyes had flicked towards his lips, only for a moment, but it was the proverbial shove that he needed. He hesitated at first, but summoned his courage and leaned in quickly, not giving Evelyn time to really think (which she wouldn't have, anyways).

It was a slow and easy kiss, fueled by months of longing from both of them. Soft and gentle, like a first kiss should be. Evelyn drew Enjolras closer by pulling the lapels of his jacket. Enjolras put one hand on her hip, the other on her cheek. After a few fleeting moments of bliss, Evelyn stood on her tiptoes and lightly pecked his lips. She let go of his jacket, and he opened his eyes.

Evelyn was looking up at him, her dark blue eyes twinkling. Giggles bubbled through and the dimple in her left cheek stood out. She had the most characteristic expression of mischief on her face.

Enjolras readjusted his stance. He couldn't help the little smile that parted his lips. He ran a hand through his blond curls.

They were interrupted by the unmistakable crack of a gunshot.

...

Musi had to pry Joly off the door as he was frozen in fear. Vivid flashbacks of the barricade flooded him, rendering him immobile. She finally got him off, but Joly couldn't walk straight. Musi had to support him as they walked.

Marius, on the other hand, had the opposite reaction. He grabbed Cosette's hand and moved so fast that he was basically dragging her. Marius flipped over a nearby table, sending desserts and silver trays flying. "Musi!" he yelled, grabbing her attention and signaling his location. He shoved and tucked Cosette behind the heavy wood in an effort to protect her. Musi swung over, bending over from Joly's weight. "Marius!" she grunted out, indicating that she couldn't support him. Marius leapt up and removed Joly from Musi. She dove underneath the table and side-hugged Cosette, who was as poised as ever. Barely any sign of distress was shown. Musi, however, could feel hot tears begin to streak down her cheek. She quickly wiped them away.

Marius placed Joly behind the table, and Musi immediately tended to him.

...

Inspector Gerard grinned madly as little bits of plaster rained down on him. Gerard kept his gun up, signaling to all the heroes in the room that he wasn't done firing.

He undid his jacket buttons and pulled out his shirttails with his left hand.

At the sound of the gunshot, every couple in the ballroom either hit the floor or ran to the closest exit, cowering from the insane man that had so rudely interrupted their party.

It wasn't for no reason, though. No. _If I can kill the Enjolras boy, justice will be served. The pardon was ill thought out; the King must've had some other business on his mind. Because, surely, this criminal could not be let loose on the streets, _Gerard thought.

That was when his target showed up, a girl in hand.

...

Enjolras and Evelyn made eye contact, and with one glance, knew what to do. Enjolras let them through the crowd, Evelyn holding his hand. He looked around wildly to see what bastard had thought it alright to fire off a gun at a ball.

Evelyn spotted him first. The shooter stood in the center of the ballroom. Various trays of desserts and drinks littered the floor. The entire party was in chaos; people screamed and ran. Some hid. Everybody was terrified.

He looked crazed, his leering smile daring someone to challenge him. "There!" she shouted to Enjolras, trying to speak above the din in the ballroom.

Enjolras locked eyes with the madman.

Gerard cocked and moved his gun towards the boy. His shaking hands made the barrel waver as he looked down it with one eye shut. _This is it, _he thought, _So long, boy._ He pulled the trigger.

...

A bullet whizzed by in the small space to Enjolras's right. He could feel this displaced air push on his jacket. Evelyn moved her hand over the small wound that the bullet had made. Luckily, it was a shallow graze, more of a bruise as far as she could tell(thanks to the layers of fabric), and nothing of immediate concern.

Assuming it had hit Evelyn, he looked at her, his eyes wide with shock. She gave a small nod, indicating that everything was fine.

Suddenly, Marius flew in and tackled the assailant. He sat on top of him and pinned him to the ground, sending the gun clattering across the parquet floor. Enjolras (with a quick "are you sure you're alright" glance to Evelyn) moved in after Marius.

He shoved Marius off of the madman, and placed a knee firmly on his stomach. The man wheezed with the sudden pressure, and his jaunting grin turned into an expression of terror. The entire ball room was quiet, but not empty.

Enjolras grabbed his lapels and pulled his face up to his own. "Who are you?" he shouted, rage emitting from his entire being.

The man just sputtered and tried to pry Enjolras's hands off of him. Enjolras asked him again, this time louder, "_Who are you_?"

"Gregorie Gerard. Inspector," he stuttered, his voice high pitched and thin. Gerard looked around with the fervor of a wild animal.

Enjolras slammed Gerard back into the ground, the inspector's head making a hard crack. Gasps sounded from the majority of the females in the room, stunned that the charming young man they conversed with minutes ago was capable of being so terrible. Enjolras moved his hand so that his forearm was pressed against Gerard's neck. Gerard's face turned bright red and he gritted his teeth with strain. "You have ten seconds to say your prayers before I blow you to hell," Enjolras spat out.

Gerard only made choking sounds in response. "Enjolras," Joly warned. Enjolras couldn't hear him over the blood rushing in his ears.

Gerard's face was now turning purplish, green veins popping in his neck.

...

Evelyn grew dizzier by the second. Nearly being shot was traumatizing enough without watching Enjolras go insane. As Enjolras went to the source of conflict, Evelyn walked to Musichetta and Cosette (who had moved out from behind the table in an attempt to stop Marius), all of them seeking comfort in one another.

Musi hugged Evelyn around the waist and Cosette put a hand on her shoulder. Evelyn remained stoic.

...

Suddenly, a scream sounded behind him. Enjolras whipped around, loosening the grip on Gerard. A guard, having been summoned by an upstanding citizen, replaced him.

In Musi's arms lay Evelyn, flopped over in such a limp manner that one would think her dead. Joly ran over to them, taking Evelyn from Musi and gently placing her on the floor. He ran his fingers on her wrist, trying to find her pulse. Looking over her body, he saw no signs of injury, which led him to believe that she had fainted. Fainting was not uncommon at a ball, with all the corsets and nonsense. _It would make sense especially since she had just witnessed the more brutal side of Enjolras, _Joly thought_, A common fainting spell would also explain the slight pallor of her skin... _

Enjolras rushed to Evelyn's side, caught between shame from losing all control of himself (thought not completely unjustified) and concern for Evelyn's well being. He kneeled next to her and placed a hand on her side.

Aside from the feeling of velvet that made up her gown, he felt something else. He lifted his hand and habitually rubbed his thumb on his finger as he looked.

Red.

He saw red.

Joly, Musichetta, and Cosette saw it as well. Musi pierced the still air with a scream and brought her hands to her mouth. The dark blue velvet hid the blood that had slowly seeped out of her, credit to the bullet that she thought was only a nick.

Enjolras hastily rubbed his hand off on his jacket. Panic gripped his chest. He scooped Evelyn up in his arms, her head lolling back. Enjolras readjusted his arm as to support it. It was horrifying to see her helpless.

"I'll take her to the hospital," he stated, trying to hide how frantic he was.

"You can take my carriage," Joly suggested.

"No. It'll take too long to get the horses ready." Enjolras

"The closest is the Hôtel-Dieu. It's right next to the Notre Dame," Marius supplied, nearly stuttering from how fast he was speaking. Enjolras nodded and kept a quick pace as he left the mansion.

...

Outside the stuffy mansion was an equally stuffy night, much above freezing point. Thick clouds now blocked out the stars and the moon, leaving the yellow gas-lit street lamps to be the only source of light on the streets.

Enjolras's shoes crunched on the gravel driveway leading out to the main streets from the Gillenormand estate. He fervently calculated the quickest route to Notre Dame, totaling it to just under a half hour. Enjolras tried to ignore the pit in his stomach.

...

Enjolras's dress shoes clacked and slipped on the wet cobblestone. His legs burned but he willed himself to carry on. He was only two blocks away now. Evelyn and her dress were just dead weight, and Enjolras was starting to lose his grip and strength. He re-shifted her, moving his arms more under her, so that her head rested on his shoulder.

Evelyn stirred a bit, groaning a little. Her brows drew together and she moved her hand to her middle. Enjolras's eyes went wide with shock. "Evelyn? Evelyn can you hear me?

She muttered something (the something was meant to be about taking care of Rene and Caroline), her eyes struggling to keep open. Enjolras felt newly encouraged, but still sensed the situation was dire. He bounded onward, re-energized.

He rounded the last corner before the straight-away that led to the Hôtel-Dieu. Enjolras sprinted towards a single lamp holding a dying flame over a little portico.

A little drizzle started, making the whole situation just a hair more difficult.

When he reached the hospital door, Enjolras carefully placed Evelyn on the stone of the porch, her back leaning against the wall of the Hôtel-Dieu. Evelyn tried as hard as she could to remain conscious. Her breathing was already hitching

Enjolras knocked frantically on the heavy oak doors to the hospital. Then waited a few seconds. No response. He tried again.

"Hey!" he shouted, trying to get someone on the inside's, either a doctor or a nurse's, attention. Still nothing. He banged his fist on the hard wood, barely feeling the pain in his knuckles, until a faint voice interrupted him.

"Don't you fret, Julien. I don't feel any pain," Evelyn said with a wan smile. It was a complete lie, of course. The adrenaline had completely worn off by then and the entire left side of her abdomen felt like it was on fire. But she wanted to leave Julien in peace. He put his forehead on the door and slid his hand down in resignation. There was nothing more he could do. _Helpless again_, he thought.

Enjolras sat next to her and gathered her in his arms once again. He leaned a little forward and pressed himself as far as he could go against the wall, trying to block the rain. "A little fall of rain can hardly hurt me now," Evelyn said, a faint laugh sounding at the end. Her familiar lopsided smile appeared. Enjolras forced a small smile. These last moments were not the time for self loathing. "You're here. That's all I need to know." Enjolras wrapped his arms around her, holding her. "And you will keep me safe. And rain will make the flowers grow." Her eyes began to close for what Enjolras feared to be the final time.

"But you will live Evelyn, dear God above," he said earnestly, gently shaking her in a pathetic attempt to keep her awake. _If i could close your wounds with words of love, _he thought.

She responded and mustered up the last of her energy, staring with a shred of the life that her eyes usually held. "Just hold me now, and let it be. Shelter me. Comfort me." She buried her head into his neck.

"Hush-a-bye, dear Evelyn"

"So don't you fret, M'seur Julien"

"You won't feel any pain" they said simultaneously.

"A little fall of rain, can hardly hurt you now," Enjolras said, copying her, trying to cope with everything. "I'm here," he said, pulling her tighter.

"That's all I need to know,,"

"And I will stay with you,"

"And you will keep me safe,"

"Until you're sleeping." It killed him to say that.

"And rain," Evelyn looked into his eyes, melting them into a soft blue.

"And rain," Enjolras choked out.

"Will make the flowers," Evelyn's voice softened to a near whisper.

"Will make the flowers," The final light faded from her smile, and her eyes fluttered shut. Enjolras felt a tear run down his cheek. "Grow," he whispered.

The only sound was the soft thrum of rain.

**A/N: HOWS THAT FOR APLOT POINT, HUH? I feel so evil. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR REACTIONS WERE. IDC IF THIS IS THE ONLY CHAPTER YOU REVIEW ON. I SPENT SO MUCH TIME ON THIS PART YOU GUYS HAVE NO IDEA. It's literally been months so you, dear readers, at least have to let me know that you read it. **

**Ok sorry if that sounded needy but I had to revise it (hence the lateness) because of a continuity error so yeah. Evelyn's dress and necklace can be found here: post/57406031450/yayyy-evelyns-dress-necklace-i-di d-draw-this**


	28. Clara Stella

_Chapter 27  
_~_Clara Stella~_

A bar of yellow light burst over the couple from behind. Enjolras whipped his head around in surprise. A nun was standing in the doorway, holding a lamp. "Come in, now!" she nearly shrieked. Enjolras jumped up, Evelyn's body in his arms. He swiftly strode into the hospital, pent up emotion fueling his every motion. "What could possibly be the matter at this hour?" she questioned, not really curious. Enjolras glared back at her with the potency of a venomous snake bite. The old woman was slightly startled. She craned her neck and held the lamp closer to the girl in the strange boy's arms. She gasped when she saw the damage.

"There's a table right here," she said, a new fervor in her voice, waving the lamp and walking over to a metal plate in a back room, "I'll fetch the doctor."

Enjolras nearly exploded at the old woman, wanting to tell her it was too late. But he stayed silent, which in a way was more terrifying.

Enjolras gently placed Evelyn on the metal, laying her down in the softest way possible. He felt a sudden cold on his torso where Evelyn had been and looked down. Blood stains were smeared all along the perfect cream of his vest and shirt. He had to bite his lip to support the dam that held himself back.

A man ran into Enjolras from behind, shoving him out of his way. Enjolras used the momentum to stumble to the corner. He lifted his hands and brought them behind his head, opening his chest. It didn't do much to relieve the pressure. The nun lit the light fixtures, illuminating the surgical area.

The doctor picked up Evelyn's wrist and put two fingers on the underside of it.

"She's live!" he shouted. The nun looked like she had been electrocuted and leapt at the nearby instruments.

Enjolras's eyes went wide in shock. _Alive?_ _She's alive_?!A spark of hope lit in him, sending his heart rate skyrocketing. But still, he was helpless, and he knew it. Flashbacks blurred with real life, warping his image of reality. It was like he couldn't hear anything except distant echoes. The room blurred and spun, completely disorienting him. Any movement sent streaks across his vision. Enjolras grit his teeth and crouched down, trying to stabilize himself.

The doctor looked panicked. He knew that the girl had lost too much blood for him to spend time stitching her up. "Elodie, heat up the plate," the doctor said calmly. He flipped her over and roughly undid the laces on her bodice and then the corset, pulling them down to her waist. He left her chemise on, trying to save her some shred of dignity.

...

The first thing Evelyn thought was: Why is it so bright in here? To be fair, it was really bright. It was the kind of light that burned through your eyelids even when they were squeezed shut.

She clamped her hands over her eyes, trying to create a little cupboard of darkness. She also noticed that the bullet wound's pain was reduced to a dull ache, which further dissipated by the minute.

Knowing that she couldn't rely on sight, she began to listen closely to try and evaluate her surroundings. Voices murmured in the distance, sometimes inflecting like they were having a party. She knew those voices, but she couldn't place them. It was like a little itch in the back of her skull, eroding at the blockade of forgetfulness.

Slowly but surely her vision adjusted, and she was able to lift each finger, one by one, until the brightness had dimmed to that of a sunny day. She blinked a few times.

In front of her, was Eponine.

Well, Eponine if she wasn't a _gamine_.

Her hair wasn't the mess of dark tangles that Evelyn had always met with, nor were her clothes torn. Her skin was a glowing bronze and her cheeks had a little flush to them. But it was still the same 'Ponine.

"'Ponine..." Evelyn whispered breathlessly, like the name slipped out of her.

Behind her was a great, white expanse. It was the soft kind of white, though; the kind that blurs everything a bit around the edges.

"Come on!" Eponine grinned. "We've been hoping you would show up!"

_We?_ Evelyn thought. She looked behind Eponine, trying to find what she was talking about. Her surprise was met in the right hand corner.

It was Les Amis, the whole lot of them. Courf, 'Ferre, Bahorel, Feuilly, Bousset, Grantaire, Jehan, even little Gav were sitting and leaning on the big oak table from the Musian. They were all cleaned up and happy, joking with one another. A few noticed Evelyn and waved.

Other students and people milled about in the back at various depths. Even Javert was there, talking to a woman about 20 years his junior. Despite all of the movement, Evelyn was overwhelmed by a sense of calm.

"You're a bit over dressed, don't ya think?" Eponine joked, tugging at Evelyn's skirt. Where Eponine touched, a white blotch was left. The blotch steadily spread, smoky tendrils wrapping around the skirt. Instantly, she was alarmed.

...

Elodie removed the metal plate from the lamp's flame and handed the tongs she held it with to him.

It took some time to locate the cut, as the white cotton was just soaked in deep red.

It was just below the last rib on her light side. It was maybe two inches long, not very deep.

He pressed down the hot metal piece, cauterizing the wound.

...

"I'm not supposed to be here," Evelyn stated, power behind her words. She didn't even realize she had said them. But they sounded right. "I should go..." she affirmed, panic rising in her voice. White was starting to creep up her bodice. _No, no, no, no, no! This isn't right! I need to get out of here!_ "Eponine!" Evelyn cried, searching her friend for help.

Eponine nodded somberly. "You're right," she said with a sad smile.

A searing pain hit at the bottom of her ribcage.

Then black.

...

Evelyn rolled over to her side, tugging the covers over her shoulder. As she did so, her abdomen exploded in pain. She immediately opened her eyes, blinking a few times.

The pastel-blue floral wallpaper looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't place it. Mahogany furniture, the garden outside. She _knew _this place.

Evelyn tried to turn back over, forgetting her wound. She sucked in air and gingerly moved the covers down to her hips. She craned her neck and gently moved her nightgown upwards. A bandage was wound around her middle, constricting her ribcage. She flopped her head back onto the down pillow and grit her teeth as all the memories came back to her. She went backwards, first remembering Eponine, then the rain, then the kiss.

_The kiss_, she thought with a melting smile. Evelyn remembered every second. The curl of his hair, the warmth that radiated from his chest, the slight stubble on his jaw (Enjolras was too careless to shave before going to the party), it was all perfect.

"Well good to see your up!" a familiar voice said. Evelyn swerved her head over, regretting it as soon as she felt the kink in her neck. "And judging by that loony smile you don't have amnesia either," Joly said with a warm smile. Evelyn rolled her eyes, but let the little grin remain. Then she remembered another thing.

"Where's Rene and Caroline?" Evelyn asked, panic replacing her smile.

"Upstairs." Evelyn lurched forward, but was stopped by Joly's hands at her shoulders. "I have to check you first. Five minutes. Then I'll call them down." Evelyn simmered as she let herself fall back down.

"How much did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them anything. That was Enjolras. He fetched them, at let me tell you, they were not the same after getting out of that carriage."

"Oh my God," Evelyn said as she brought her palm to her forehead. "They probably think I'm dead now, don't they? I bet they were mortified."

"That they were." Joly undid the bandage and with slow and steady hands slipped it off, revealing the burn. It was black in the center, bright red around the edges. It was an ugly thing. Textbook, though. Joly felt a pang of pity for Evelyn. If this was what it looked like, Joly could only imagine what it felt like. He left Evelyn's side and brought in a steaming bowl of water, a cloth thrown over his shoulder. Joly placed the bowl on the nightstand and then dipped the cloth into it.

"Which room is this?" Evelyn inquired through a clenched jaw. She saw what was coming and was not looking forward to it.

"The downstairs guest room. You've never seen it?" Joly returned to his position at her feet. Her idea of making small talk to numb the pain wasn't working.

"Oh. Yeah, I have. Just forgot," Evelyn let her mind wander for a moment. Already she was feeling light headed. Hot water brought her back. She sharply inhaled as Joly (as gently as he could) dabbed and cleansed her wound.

Joly softly hushed her, never taking his attention off the wound. He had a doctor's hand- strong, but considerate.

After what felt like forever, Joly stopped washing and started wrapping. He wound the new linen bandage around Evelyn's waist, closing it with a little metal clasp. Evelyn exhaled the breath she didn't know she was holding when Joly finally stopped fiddling with it.

Rapid footsteps descended the staircase and down the hall, finally entering Evelyn's room as Joly was preparing to leave.

Rene stood with watery eyes at the doorway, hands over Caroline's shoulders, whose cheeks were wet with tears. Evelyn mustered a weak smile as she propped herself up on some pillows.

The children ran to her, Caroline even clambering into bed with her and hugging her around the neck. Evelyn winced, but tried to keep it hidden.

Rene just awkwardly shifted his weight from foot to foot and fiddled with the hem on his sleeve. His bit his lower lip in an effort to stop its trembling. "I thought you were..." Rene squeaked before disintegrating into tears. He, unlike Caroline, was old enough to realize the danger that Evelyn was put in. Rene sat at the foot of the bed, his face buried in his hands. After a few uncomfortable minutes, the tears stopped. "Did it hurt?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah."

"A lot?"

"A lot."

"Like a pinch?"

"No," Evelyn trickled down in laughter. "Worse than a pinch.

"Can I see it?"

"No. It's pretty gross."

"Ew." Caroline stuck out her tongue.

Amongst the chatter, Musi and Cosette appeared in the doorway. Musi's eyes were the slightest bit red. "Here," she said, placing a franc in Rene's hand. "Take this and tell the carriage master where you want to go. Maybe the candy store on Roi de Sicele?" She ushered Rene out, beckoning Caroline to follow. Rene looked sidelong at Evelyn as he was leaving. "Don't worry, she's not leaving this bed!" Musi trilled. "It's not like she can, or anything!" As soon as the words flew out of her mouth, she brought her hand up to her lips and her cheeks flushed red.

A faint giggle emitted from Evelyn, who had her face in her hands. "Ow," she said through laughter as she moved her hands to her abdomen. "Don't make me laugh! It hurts." The laughter spread through the room, albeit through awkwardly forced and breathy chuckles.

**A/N: ok i'm so sorry that i made you guys wait so long after a cliff hanger. yay but the kisses come soon so hooray! I have so many later plot lines for this but i don't know how to transition it w/o making it boring? idek i'll figure something out. the title is "bright star" in latin. (that's really rough cause it's late rn i don't have my notes on me yay latin class) and as always review pls!**


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